Two Dead, 29 Injured in Stampede at Barabanki Temple After Electric Shock Panic

Two devotees lost their lives and 29 others were injured in a stampede that occurred at the Awsaneshwar Mahadev temple in Barabanki district during the early hours of Monday. The incident happened amid religious rituals on the third Monday of Sawan, a holy occasion for worshipping Lord Shiva.

According to officials, the stampede broke out around 2 a.m. when panic spread among the crowd due to an electric shock inside the temple premises. A large number of devotees had gathered for ‘Jalabhishek,’ and the temple complex was packed when the chaos unfolded.

Barabanki District Magistrate Shashank Tripathi said the panic was triggered when a group of monkeys jumped onto an overhead electric wire, which then snapped and fell on the shed covering the temple. This led to a brief electric current passing through the structure, causing alarm among worshippers.

The sudden fear prompted devotees to rush in all directions, resulting in a stampede. Two people were declared dead on arrival at the Trivediganj Community Health Centre, while the remaining injured were treated at nearby health facilities. Some of the seriously injured were later referred to the district hospital for advanced care.

Chief Medical Officer Dr. Awadhesh Kumar Yadav confirmed that all but one of the patients admitted to the Haidergarh CHC had been discharged. "Ten were brought to Trivediganj, where two were declared dead. The rest are stable and under observation," he said.

Police had already been deployed at the site due to the expected large turnout, and additional forces were sent immediately after the incident to manage the crowd and ensure safety.

This tragedy comes just a day after a similar incident at the Mansa Devi temple in Haridwar, Uttarakhand, where a stampede—also reportedly sparked by electric shock rumours—claimed eight lives and injured 30 others.

Authorities in both states have launched investigations to understand the cause and prevent future mishaps during major religious gatherings.