At least nine people have been killed in a stampede that took place during prayers at the Sheetla Mata Temple in Bihar’s Nalanda district on Tuesday (March 31, 2026). The State government has announced an ex gratia of ₹6 lakh to the families of the victims.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also announced an ex gratia of ₹2 lakh to the families of the deceased and ₹50,000 to those injured from the PM Relief Fund.
The district administration has now closed the temple to tackle the situation. Locals alleged that there were no proper security arrangements at the temple to control the crowd. Devotees from Nalanda and neighbouring districts gather at the temple in Maghada village to offer prayers every Tuesday. The toll is likely to go up, they said.
Also read | A list of major stampedes in India
The Bihar Chief Secretary has been instructed to initate a probe into the incident and submit a report to the government. Expressing condolences, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary assured that all possible assistance would be provided to the victims.
