Bihar stampede: Police arrest flower vendor

Jehanabad: The police on Tuesday arrested a flower vendor in connection with a stampede that left seven people dead and 16 others injured at Baba Siddheshwar Nath Temple in Bihar’s Jehanabad district, an officer said.

Preliminary investigation revealed that the stampede happened following a clash between flower vendors and a few Kanwarias near the temple on Baravar hills in Makhdumpur block, District Magistrate Alankrita Pandey said.

This is the first arrest in connection with the incident and the police are searching for two or three other flower vendors who are absconding, she said.

“The entire area of the temple premises has now been made a vendor-free zone,” the DM said.

The arrest was made after analysing CCTV footage and recording the statement of those present there at the time of the incident, Pandey said.

Seven people, including six women, were killed and 16 others injured in a stampede at the temple in the intervening night of Sunday and Monday.

A large number of devotees had assembled at the temple to offer water to the deity on Monday in Shravan, a holy month for Hindus.

The police also decided to deploy 100 more security personnel along the route the Kanwarias take and near the temple premises.

“Besides, a temporary medical facility is also being opened near Makhdumpur in case of any untoward incident. It will start functioning from today,” said the DM.

Meanwhile, a video clip of the incident surfaced on social media on Tuesday showing how the stampede took place.

It is seen in the video clip that devotees were struggling to come out of a narrow lane packed with devotees.