Three people including a five-year old boy and two women lost their lives while several were injured in a stampede at Durga Puja pandal in Gopalganj district of Bihar on Monday.
The incident took place at the pandal in the Raja Dal locality of the district, said Swarna Prabhat, Superintendent of Police.
The devotees were standing in queue in huge numbers for taking “prasad” when the child fell down and the two women bent down to save the child from being crushed.
“The ensuing commotion left 13 women and the child injured. They were rushed to the Sadar hospital. The boy and the two elderly women died. The rest were said to be out of danger,” said Swarna Prabhat.
In view of bringing the situation in control the incident site has been sealed, said the police.
“There were huge crowds of revellers across Durga Puja pandals on Navami today. A child fell to the ground due to overcrowding at the gate of a Puja pandal, and was trampled upon as revellers ran helter-skelter during the stampede,” said Nawal Kishor Choudhary, District Magistrate.
“Two women, who ran in to save the child, also fell and couldn’t get back on their feet. They gasped for air and succumbed while being taken to a hospital barely 200 metres away. District officials and the police are at the spot currently,” Mr Choudhary further said.
