Uttar Pradesh: Two people died due to sudden lightning strike at Mahadev temple in Uttar Pradesh
On the occasion of Shravan Monday, thousands of devotees gathered at Shiva temples for darshan from early morning. However, a tragic incident occurred during this festival of faith, where two devotees died in an accident at the Avasaneshwar Mahadev Temple in Haidergarh, Barabanki district, Uttar Pradesh. Approximately 40 people were injured. This heart-wrenching incident happened around three in the morning. The temple premises were crowded with devotees due to Shravan Monday. Suddenly, a lightning strike hit the devotees standing in line under a tin shed outside the temple.
This caused a great commotion. In the rush, there was a stampede. Two people died on the spot due to electric shock, while others were immediately admitted to the hospital. Among those who died in this accident, one was Prashant (age 22), a resident of Mubarakpura village in Barabanki district. It is reported that the other deceased devotee was also from the same village. Both were immediately taken to Trivediganj CHC hospital by devotees, but the doctors declared them dead. According to eyewitness devotees, a monkey jumped on the electric wire in the temple premises, causing the wire to break and fall onto the tin shed below.
Hundreds of devotees were standing under this shed. After the electric shock, there was chaos among the people, panic ensued, and many were injured in the stampede. It is also reported that some people were burned by the electric shock. Upon receiving information about the incident, district administration, police, and health department officials arrived at the scene. The injured have been immediately admitted to Trivediganj and other hospitals for treatment. The District Collector and senior police officers have visited the site to review the situation.
After this accident, there is an atmosphere of anger among the locals. Questions are being raised about the role of the temple administration and the electricity department regarding the safety of the devotees. Many have questioned why proper maintenance of the electric wires was not done despite knowing the crowd of devotees. Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh government has ordered an inquiry into the accident and assured that strict action will be taken against the culprits, as promised by the district administration. This accident, which occurred on the holy day of Shravan Monday, has created an atmosphere of fear and sorrow among the devotees. As a result, the issue of devotees' safety has come to the forefront again.