2 dead after monkeys snap electric wire at temple in India
Two devotees died while dozens suffered minor electrocution after an electric wire fell at the Awsaneshwar Mahadev Temple in Uttar Pradesh, India, at around 2am on Monday (28 July).
A post-mortem revealed that both casualties perished from electrocution, Times of India reported.
Barabanki District Magistrate Shashank Tripathi said monkeys jumped on the wire, causing it to snap and fall on a metal shed at the temple complex.
Panic over electrocution leads to stampede
Vinod Giri, the temple management committee manager, said the temple opened its doors to devotees at around 1am for an early morning ritual.
The ritual went smoothly for an hour. However, devotees soon started collapsing after coming into contact with an electrified metal pipe near the tin shed.
Source: PTI via Amarujala
According to Hindustan Times, this triggered a stampede as devotees panicked in fear of getting electrocuted.
The devotees who sustained minor electric shocks were sent to the hospital and have since been discharged in stable condition.
Source: Samvad News Agency via Amarujala
Another temple sees stampede that claimed eight lives
Just a day before the incident, a stampede occurred at the Mansa Devi Temple in Uttarakhand, which resulted in eight deaths and at least 45 injuries.
According to an Associated Press report, rumours of a fallen live wire on the pathway caused panic and led to a stampede.
“Since the path is narrow and meant only for foot traffic, confusion and panic spread instantly,” said a local priest.
“A wall along the path is also suspected to have worsened the crowd bottleneck.”
However, officials later clarified there was no electric failure at the site, Times of India reported.
Also read: Devotees in India queue for ‘holy water’ that turned out to be AC condensation
Devotees in India queue for ‘holy water’ that turned out to be AC condensation
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Featured image adapted from Amarujala.
