New Delhi: At least six people were killed and several others injured in a stampede at the Mansa Devi temple in Uttarakhand’s Haridwar on Sunday (July 27) morning.The tragedy unfolded at around 9 am on the stairway leading to the hilltop shrine as large crowds of devotees had gathered during the ongoing Hindu month of Sawan, which sees heavy footfall at pilgrimage sites across the region.According to multiple reports, the stampede was triggered by panic following a rumour about a live electric current near the stairs leading to the temple.The Hindustan Times reported that a video from the site showed a man shouting, “Peeche jao” (go back), as crowds surged from all directions.In another video, a person described children struggling for space in the crush.Police and SDRF personnel at the stampede site in Haridwar. Photo: PTI.Haridwar senior superintendent of police Pramendra Singh Dobal told PTI that around 35 people were rushed to the hospital, of whom six died.District magistrate Mayur Dixit confirmed that “a rumour about electric current” sparked panic, but added that no actual electric current was found at the site, and a magisterial probe has been ordered to determine the exact cause.Eyewitness accounts cited by NDTV and the Hindustan Times described scenes of chaos and desperation.“People ran over my head and our children. There were bodies scattered,” said a woman devotee, breaking down while narrating the incident to NDTV.Another injured devotee from Bihar said he fell and fractured his hand as people jostled to escape.The stairway route, accessible only on foot, quickly became overcrowded, according to Ujjwal Pundit, a teerth purohit with the Ganga Sabha. He told the Hindustan Times that a nearby boundary wall may also have contributed to the crowding.A pilgrim from Uttar Pradesh said that after the stampede, the temple gates were closed and all devotees were asked to leave.Local residents and shopkeepers assisted emergency responders in ferrying the injured to hospitals.Footwear lies at the site of a stampede at the Mansa Devi temple in Haridwar on July 27, 2025. Photo: Screenshot from PTI video.Devotees had started gathering at the temple, located atop Bilwa Parvat in the Shivalik Hills, early in the morning. The temple is one of Haridwar’s most prominent shrines and can be accessed via a 1.5-km trek or ropeway.The state government has issued helpline numbers for those seeking information about the victims. The Haridwar District Emergency Operation Center can be reached at 01334-223999, 9068197350 and 9528250926, while the State Emergency Operation Center in Dehradun is reachable at 0135-2710334, 2710335, 8218867005 and 9058441404.Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on X that he was “deeply saddened by the loss of lives in the stampede” and that “the local administration is assisting those affected.”Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami also reacted on social media, saying he was in constant touch with local authorities and that relief and rescue operations were underway. He announced financial compensation of Rs 2 lakh for the families of those who died and Rs 50,000 for the injured.