There was a stampede during the annual Larai Jatra held late Friday night at Sri Larai Devi Temple in Shirgaon, Goa. At least six people died and more than 50 people were injured. A large number of devotees visit the Shri Larai Devi temple. After this tragic incident, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant ordered an inquiry on Saturday and promised to make the investigation report public.
The accident occurred between 4–5 am when thousands of devotees gathered in the temple for Dhondachi Jatra, a traditional fire ritual. According to preliminary information, there was a stampede due to the collapse of some devotees at the slope and slippery place near the temple. Some eyewitnesses said that probably electric shock spread panic in the crowd, although it has not been officially confirmed.
Chief Minister Sawant visited the spot and Goa Medical College (GMC), where the injured are undergoing treatment. He said, “This is the first such incident in Goa. I am monitoring the situation and assure all possible help to the affected families.” He informed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spoken to him and assured full assistance from the Center.
State Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said that eight injured are in critical condition, two of which are being given special care in GMC. Emergency services were immediately activated, and a dedicated ICU was arranged with additional doctors.
Larai Jatra, in which more than 50,000 devotees participate from Goa, Maharashtra and Karnataka, are held in May every year. This time 1,000 policemen and drones were deployed to control the crowd, but the system proved inadequate. After this incident, President Draupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Modi and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi mourned the incident. The state government has canceled all the official programs for the next three days.
