2008 Naina Devi temple stampede
2008 Naina Devi temple stampede
The 2008 Naina Devi Temple stampede was a tragic incident that occurred on August 3, 2008, at the Naina Devi Temple, located in the Bilaspur district of Himachal Pradesh, India. The stampede unfolded during the festival of Naina Devi, which attracts thousands of pilgrims annually. As devotees gathered to pay their respects, a sudden panic was triggered by an unconfirmed rumor of an electrical malfunction, leading to chaos and a rush towards the temple exit. The ensuing stampede resulted in the deaths of at least 144 individuals and injured many others. This incident raised significant concerns regarding crowd management and emergency protocols at religious sites in India, prompting reviews of safety measures at pilgrimage destinations nationwide.