A stampede-like situation at the Awsaneshwar Mahadev Temple in Barabanki early Monday morning claimed two lives and left over 30 people injured after an overhead electric wire fell onto a tin shed packed with devotees.
The incident occurred around 2:30 a.m., when hundreds had gathered for darshan on the third Monday of the holy month of Sawan. The fallen wire reportedly electrified the shed, causing several people to suffer electric shocks and sparking panic that led to chaos in the temple premises.
“Some monkeys jumped onto the overhead wires, which snapped and fell onto the tin shed,” officials said.
According to Chief Medical Officer Awadhesh Prasad, 29 injured devotees were brought to the Haidergarh Community Health Centre, with one later referred to the district hospital. An additional nine people were taken to the Trivediganj CHC, where two were declared dead. The remaining injured are said to be out of danger.
District Magistrate Shashank Tripathi and Superintendent of Police Arpit Vijayvargiya rushed to the spot along with senior officers to oversee relief measures. “The law and order situation is under control. Two critical patients have been referred for advanced care,” said the DM.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed condolences and directed officials to ensure swift medical aid and relief to the affected families.
The Barabanki incident comes just a day after a stampede at Haridwar’s Mansa Devi temple killed eight and injured 30 others, highlighting the urgent need for enhanced safety and crowd management during peak pilgrimage periods.
