• At least six people confirmed dead in a temple stampede in Haridwar, India.
• The crowd surge was triggered by an overhead power line falling on the temple path.
• More than 29 individuals sustained injuries during the incident.
• Authorities are investigating the collapse of the wire and crowd management protocols.
• This incident continues a tragic pattern of crowd accidents at religious gatherings in India.

At least six people were crushed to death during a stampede at the Mansa Devi temple in Haridwar, northern India, after a high-voltage electric wire reportedly fell, triggering panic among a large crowd of worshippers. Local police have confirmed these fatalities, and emergency services swiftly transported over 29 injured individuals to nearby hospitals, according to Dawn, Al Jazeera, and Reuters.

The incident occurred amidst a busy period at the temple, as thousands gathered to celebrate the holy month of Shravan. “The sight of the wire falling caused immediate panic, leading to a desperate scramble for safety,” stated local police official Ritesh Saha. Eyewitness accounts described the scene as chaotic, exacerbated by the narrow pathways leading to the temple, prompting fears over crowd management protocols at such significant religious gatherings, according to South China Morning Post and TRT World.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed his condolences and confirmed ongoing relief operations to manage the situation. Authorities are now investigating the cause of the wire's collapse and are re-evaluating crowd management strategies to prevent future tragedies at religious sites, indicating a concern echoed by many after similar occurrences at previous events, including the Maha Kumbh festival earlier this year, where at least 30 people were killed, as highlighted by Al Jazeera and Reuters.