A festive gathering turned into a heartbreaking tragedy at Goa’s Shri Lairai Devi temple in Shirgaon village on Friday, when a stampede broke out during the temple’s annual jatra. The chaos left at least seven people dead and over 30 injured, with the tally expected to rise. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant both expressed their grief over the loss of lives, and Sawant visited the North Goa District Hospital to take stock of the unfolding situation.
Stampede During Festival At Goa Temple
Why In News
- A festive gathering turned into a heartbreaking tragedy at Goa’s Shri Lairai Devi temple in Shirgaon village on Friday, when a stampede broke out during the temple’s annual jatra. The chaos left at least seven people dead and over 30 injured, with the tally expected to rise. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant both expressed their grief over the loss of lives, and Sawant visited the North Goa District Hospital to take stock of the unfolding situation.
What Happened
- The stampede took place around 3 am at the Shri Lairai Devi temple in Bicholim, where thousands had gathered to take part in the temple’s annual jatra, which began on Friday.
- Held in the north Goa village of Shirgaon, the Lairai Devi jatra is a major religious event that honours Goddess Lairai, believed to be an incarnation of Goddess Parvati and one of the seven sister deities in Goan folklore. The festival is famous for its powerful rituals and massive turnout of devotees.
- As midnight approaches, the devotees perform a circular stick dance, synchronised with rhythmic drum beats. The ritual reaches its peak when a designated person lights a massive bonfire near the temple. This marks one of the most awaited moments of the celebration.
- Once the flames subside in the early morning hours, comes the most intense ritual of all—‘Agnidivya’—where devotees known as ‘Dhonds’ walk barefoot over a bed of burning embers to seek blessings. Eyewitnesses said the crowd began to lose control at one point during the early morning rush. A sudden push near a sloped section of the route caused people to surge forward all at once, creating panic and triggering a stampede.
- Initial reports suggest that the combination of a massive turnout and insufficient crowd control measures led to the deadly rush.
Preprations
- Chief Minister Pramod Sawant later stated that a sudden electric shock may have triggered the panic among the crowd, according to NDTV. However, the exact cause is still being investigated. Despite the scale of the event, the festival wasn’t short on security.
- Over 1,000 police personnel were deployed for crowd management and overall safety, as reported by The Indian Express. The forces included the North Goa district police, India Reserve Battalion, and Goa Reserve Police.
- Yet, even with such a large security presence, the situation slipped out of control, raising questions over crowd control and management.
Preprations
- Following the stampede, the emergency services were put on alert. Police rushed to the scene and immediately launched rescue operations, while locals and volunteers joined efforts to pull people to safety from the chaos.
- The state government initiated an emergency response immediately after the incident. Goa Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said they have taken “immediate and comprehensive steps” to manage the situation. He said coordination was established with 108—the national emergency ambulance service—to dispatch five ambulances to the site. Three more were positioned at Asilo Hospital, with an additional three kept on standby until the situation could be brought under control. A 24/7 helpline has also been started for medical emergencies.
PM Modi
- In the wake of the tragic stampede, Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally called Goa CM Pramod Sawant to get an update on the situation and offer his condolences.
- Expressing his sorrow over the loss of lives, PM Modi wrote on X, “Saddened by the loss of lives due to a stampede in Shirgao, Goa. Condolences to those who lost their loved ones. May the injured recover soon. The local administration is assisting those affected.”
