A religious celebration in western India turned deadly Saturday when a stampede broke out near a Hindu temple in Goa, killing at least six people and injuring dozens more, authorities said.
The crush unfolded in the early morning hours as tens of thousands of worshipers flooded into Shirgao village, roughly 40 kilometers from the state capital, Panaji. Devotees had gathered for the annual festival at the Sree Lairai Devi temple, a popular pilgrimage event drawing crowds from across Goa and neighboring states such as Maharashtra and Karnataka.
Police said the stampede erupted when people standing on a sloped pathway leading to the temple lost their footing and fell, causing others behind them to stumble in a cascading collapse. The narrow lanes leading to the temple could not accommodate the volume of pilgrims, exacerbating the danger.
Director General of Police Alok Kumar confirmed the sequence of events, noting that the confined area and early morning rush contributed to the fatal incident. Those injured were quickly transported to nearby hospitals for emergency care. The state government has launched an investigation into the cause of the stampede and the crowd control measures in place at the time.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences to the victims’ families, saying in a post on social media that he was deeply saddened by the tragedy. He added that local authorities were assisting those affected by the incident.
The stampede in Goa adds to a series of fatal crowd surges that have occurred during religious festivals in India, where large gatherings in confined spaces are common. In January, more than 30 people died in a stampede at the Maha Kumbh Mela, one of the largest religious events in the world. In July, 116 people, mostly women and children, were killed during a stampede at a religious camp in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh.
