At least six people lost their lives and over 30 were injured in a deadly Haridwar stampede at the Mansa Devi Temple in Haridwar, Uttarakhand, on July 27, 2025. The tragedy struck during the Shravan month, one of the holiest periods for Hindu devotees, when thousands flocked to the hilltop shrine.
Details of Haridwar Stampede
According to officials, panic broke out around 9 a.m. when a high-voltage electric wire reportedly snapped or was rumored to have snapped. One person was electrocuted, and the chaos that followed triggered a massive crowd surge, crushing several devotees on the narrow stairway leading to the temple — a path already congested by foot traffic and cable car queues.
Emergency responders acted swiftly, rushing over 35 injured individuals to nearby hospitals. Senior police official Pramendra Singh Doval confirmed the death toll at six, while Garhwal Commissioner Vinay Shankar Pandey noted that the situation was later brought under control.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed his condolences and announced that relief and rescue operations were promptly initiated. An official investigation is now underway to determine whether proper crowd control measures were in place and how the wire collapse occurred.
Haridwar, known as one of India’s major pilgrimage sites along the Ganges, sees millions of visitors annually, especially during Shravan and festivals like Kumbh Mela. Unfortunately, crowd crush incidents are not uncommon in India. Earlier this year, a stampede at the Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj killed at least 30 people, while other fatal crowd surges occurred in Odisha and Goa.
What’s Next
This recent tragedy serves as another urgent reminder that India’s religious gatherings need improved infrastructure and crowd control to prevent further loss of life.
Published in SouthAsianDesk, July 27th, 2025
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