Crowd Surge at Hindu Temple in Haridwar Kills Six, Injures Dozens

A crowd surge at a popular Hindu temple in northern India left at least six people dead and dozens injured on Sunday, according to local authorities.

The incident took place in the pilgrimage city of Haridwar in Uttarakhand state after a high-voltage electric wire reportedly fell on a temple pathway, causing panic among a large crowd of worshippers. Vinay Shankar Pandey, a senior government official, confirmed the fatalities and said that devotees scrambled for safety following the incident.

According to Pramendra Singh Doval, Haridwar city’s senior police official, 29 people were injured. The panic began around 9 a.m. when someone in the crowd shouted about an electric current on the narrow footpath near the temple.

Thousands of pilgrims had gathered at the Mansa Devi hilltop temple, a major site for Hindu devotees, to celebrate the holy month of Shravan. Local officials noted that weekends and religious festivals often draw large crowds to the temple, which is accessible by cable car or foot.

“Since the path is narrow and meant only for foot traffic, confusion and panic spread instantly,” said local priest Ujjwal Pandit. He also mentioned that a wall along the path may have worsened the crowd bottleneck.

Police and emergency services responded swiftly and launched a rescue operation. The injured were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. “The situation is now under control,” Pandey said in a phone call from Haridwar. “But the panic led to tragic consequences.”

Authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the wire collapse and are examining whether proper crowd management protocols were in place at the time.

Haridwar draws millions of pilgrims each year, and crowd surges at religious gatherings are not uncommon in India, where large congregations often strain local infrastructure and safety systems.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences to the victims and their families in a social media post and wished a speedy recovery for those injured.