Tragedy at Goa Temple: Stampede During Lairai Devi Festival Claims Six Lives, Injures Dozens

A tragic incident occurred during the Lairai Devi festival at a temple in Shirgaon, Goa, early Saturday morning. At least six people lost their lives, and more than 50 others were injured in a stampede that happened when panic spread among the crowd of thousands gathered for the annual religious celebration.

The Lairai Devi jatra is a popular festival held every year in North Goa. Devotees come from Goa, Maharashtra, and Karnataka to pay respect to Goddess Lairai, believed to be a form of Goddess Parvati. One of the festival’s main attractions is the fire-walking ritual, known as Agnidivya, where devotees, called Dhonds, walk barefoot over burning coal.

This year, however, the event took a tragic turn. According to people who were present, there was a sudden rush among the crowd due to panic, and people started running in different directions. The situation quickly turned chaotic, and many were injured as they fell or were pushed in the dense crowd.

Emergency teams responded quickly. Ambulances arrived at the spot and took the injured to nearby hospitals. Goa’s Health Minister, Vishwajit Rane, said that they had sent five ambulances to the scene and kept more on standby. Some of the injured were in serious condition and taken to Goa Medical College for special treatment.

Minister Rane shared that eight people were critically injured, including two who had to be put on ventilators. Four people were already dead when they reached the hospital. Several others are being treated for minor injuries, and a few have been discharged.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant expressed deep sorrow over the incident. PM Modi posted his condolences and said that the local authorities are providing help to the affected families. Chief Minister Sawant visited the injured in the hospital and said he is personally monitoring the situation to ensure that proper support is given.

The exact reason behind the stampede has not been confirmed, but early reports suggest it may have happened due to overcrowding and a lack of proper crowd control measures.