A tragic stampede occurred at the Lairai Devi temple in Shirgao, North Goa, during the Zatra festival on Saturday, leading to several injuries and chaos as devotees were caught in a tightly packed crowd. The incident took place around 4-5 AM, with an estimated 50,000 to 70,000 people present at the temple for the religious event.
Cause of the Stampede
According to Dinanath Gaonkar, the President of the Lairai Devi temple, the stampede was triggered by an unfortunate accident. Gaonkar explained that a devotee, while trying to navigate the crowded area, accidentally touched an electric bulb with his cane stick, causing a shock. The individual collapsed, falling onto other people in the crowd, which sparked the stampede. The crowd was already densely packed, and the sudden shock and fall of the devotee led to panic, causing a stampede.
“Around 50,000 to 70,000 Dhonds (followers of Lairai Devi) were gathered at the Zatra… People were pushing each other in the crowd to get ahead… During this, someone’s cane touched a bulb and he fell due to an electric shock, which led to the stampede,” Gaonkar explained.
Police and Emergency Response
North Goa’s Superintendent of Police (SP), Akshat Kaushal, confirmed the incident and mentioned that the police are still working to ascertain the exact cause of the stampede. He mentioned that over 50,000 devotees were present at the temple at the time, with around 400 police personnel deployed for security and crowd management. This stampede is reported to be the first of its kind during the annual Zatra festival.
“The main challenge was to peacefully evacuate over 50,000 people inside the temple. We had around 400 police personnel on duty, but the situation was quite difficult to handle,” said SP Akshat Kaushal. He also indicated that rumors might have contributed to the panic, but this is still under investigation.
Government and Local Authorities React
Goa’s Chief Minister, Pramod Sawant, visited Shirgao to assess the situation and show his support for the victims of the stampede. The state authorities are expected to review the incident in detail to prevent such occurrences in future events, especially during large-scale gatherings.
As investigations continue, local officials have emphasized the need for better crowd management during religious and cultural events, especially those involving massive gatherings. The authorities are working to ensure that such a tragedy does not repeat itself at future festivals.
Conclusion
The incident has raised serious concerns about crowd control measures during major religious festivals, especially when large numbers of people gather at temples and other places of worship. Authorities are likely to introduce stronger safety protocols and crowd management systems to prevent such accidents in the future. The Goa government has assured the public that a thorough investigation into the cause of the stampede is underway.
Sources By Agencies
