7 killed in stampede at Bihar temple

At least seven people, including six women, were killed and 16 others injured in a stampede at Baba Siddheshwar Nath Temple in Bihar’s Jehanabad district.
Locals said a clash between a flower vendor and a group of kanwariyas near the Shiva temple located on Barabar Hills sparked the stampede amid large crowds on Shrawan’s fourth “Somvari (Monday), considered among the most auspicious in the month.
“The vendor fled after the stampede. Police have launched a manhunt,” Jehanabad DM Alankrita Pandey said.
According to SP Arvind Pratap Singh, people at the front started moving back after the clash, leading to a stampede on a staircase where many of them fell. “Most of the victims were in their 30s and 40s,” the SP said. The DM denied allegations of police lathi-charge. “The temple sees a massive turnout of 50,000 to 100,000 devotees on Somvari,” Pandey said.