It was a busy Sunday evening at the historic Radha Rani temple in Barsana. Hundreds of devotees had gathered at the temple, eagerly waiting for hours for the doors to open. There was a festive atmosphere as a pre-holi celebration was planned.
As devotees jam-packed the stairs leading to the temple, excitement was palpable. Suddenly, a loud cracking sound pierced through the chattering crowd. To everyone’s horror, a portion of the old railing on one of the staircases gave away, sending devotees tumbling down. There were painful cries as people fell over each other.
Dr Manoj, who rushed to the site, said almost 22 people were injured in the tragic incident. Many elderly devotees suffered serious fractures in the chaos. District Magistrate Shailendra Singh also arrived to take stock of the situation. Under his supervision, the injured were immediately taken to a nearby health centre and provided first aid.
Even as officials worked tirelessly to tend to the wounded, volunteers from the temple tried to control the scared crowd. It was a difficult task to ease tensions and restore order. Eventually, the devotees were allowed to enter the temple in a regulated manner.
Eyewitnesses said the stampede-like situation occurred while people were jostling to receive laddoos being distributed. It was indeed an unfortunate mishap that marred the otherwise festive mood at the holy temple. An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the railing collapse.
