Crowd crush at Indian temple kills at least eight women | The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.Jump to contentIndependentSwipe for next articleIndependent Bulletin homepageDownload our appAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleAlisha Rahaman SarkarTuesday 31 March 2026 11:31 BSTRelated: Outrage over elephant painted pink in India for photoshootAt least eight women were killed and several others injured in a crowd crush at the Sheetla temple in Nalanda district, Bihar, on Tuesday morning.The incident occurred when hundreds of devotees gathered, and a sudden rush intensified into a stampede-like situation, with eyewitnesses reporting a lack of police presence and broken barricades.Local devotees and eyewitnesses have blamed poor management by the temple administration for failing to control the swelling crowd, which led to the tragic event.Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar ordered an investigation, shut down the temple, and announced an ex gratia payment of Rs600,000 for each victim's family, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered condolences and additional compensation.The incident highlights a recurring issue in India, where stampedes, particularly at religious gatherings, are increasingly common, with several similar fatal events reported in recent years.In fullAt least 8 women killed in crowd crush at Indian templeThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in