Panaji: A tragic stampede took place early on Friday morning at Shirgaon temple in Goa during a religious festival, leaving at least six people dead and over 50 injured. The incident happened during the annual Lairai Devi Jatra, a major event that draws thousands of devotees from Goa, Maharashtra and Karnataka.
Lairai Devi jatra is held every year in April or May. People gather in large numbers for rituals, including sitting around a holy fire and even walking on embers in a custom known as ‘agnidivya’. This year, the crowd was larger than usual.
According to eyewitnesses, around 4 am to 4.30 am, panic suddenly spread through the crowd. Some reports suggest there was an electric shock in the area, which led people to fear a major accident or fire. In the chaos that followed, devotees began to push and run, resulting in the stampede.
Officials said overcrowding and a lack of proper crowd control could also be to blame. Even though over 1,000 police officers, including senior officers and women constables, were deployed, it seems the measures weren’t enough to manage the massive gathering. Drones, traffic police, and even a riot control vehicle were in place, but the sudden panic caught everyone off-guard.
Midnight visuals showed people gathered closely around a fire. While it’s unclear if rituals were happening at the exact time of the stampede, the narrow pathways and large crowd likely made it difficult for people to move safely once panic began.
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant confirmed that all emergency services were put on alert and rescue operations began immediately. The injured were taken to Goa Medical College and North Goa District Hospital, where additional doctors were deployed. He added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was also briefed on the situation and is closely monitoring it. Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said a 24/7 medical helpline (104) has been started and 10 advanced ambulances are on duty to assist victims.
