2 electrocuted, 46 hurt as loose power line causes chaos at Barabanki temple
The incident that occurred during the Jalabhishek rituals during the holy month of Shrawan when the temple was crowded with devotees led to a stampede-like situation.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed "deep sorrow" over the loss of lives and extended his condolences to the bereaved families. The state govt has announced an ex-gratia compensation of Rs 5 lakh each to the families of the deceased from the Chief Minister's Discretionary Fund.
DGP Rajeev Krishna told reporters in Lucknow that the casualties were caused due to the electrocution because of a monkey. He said that senior officials, including the zonal and range-level officers, visited the spot.
"Two people unfortunately died in the incident, which was caused due to electrocution and not because of any stampede. Almost all of the injured have been discharged from hospital after treatment. Some are under observation," he said.
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The situation is under control, and devotees continue to offer prayers at the temple, he added.
However, a controversy erupted after a video statement by Uttar Pradesh Scheduled Caste Commission chairperson Baijnath Rawat went viral. In the video, Rawat contradicted the official explanation, saying that eyewitnesses alleged a home guard had struck a baton near the corridor, causing the wire to snap and fall, leading to the electrocution.
"This is a deeply unfortunate incident. The actual cause can only be confirmed through a thorough investigation," he said.
Uttar Pradesh Deputy CM Brajesh Pathak has ordered a high-level investigation. A report has been sought from the DM within 24 hours. "Instructions have been given to investigate the causes of the incident and to take necessary steps to ensure such incidents do not recur in the future at our temples and shrines," he said.
According to police, the incident occurred around 2:10 am when an electric current spread through the tin-shed corridor erected for the devotees performing Jalabhishek. According to the temple management committee manager Vinod Giri, the temple doors were opened around 1 am, and devotees began entering the temple through the corridor after bathing in the nearby Gomti river. The rituals continued smoothly for over an hour before the corridor turned into a scene of chaos when several devotees collapsed upon coming in contact with an electrified metal pipe near the tin shed.
Ranjana Pandey (27), who travelled from Haidergarh with her husband, said, "People were trampling over one another. I screamed for help, but no one could hear me. This was not how we imagined our Sawan darshan."
According to Gulshan (19) from Bhakosa village, "We came for Shiva's blessings, but were met with terror. There was no proper wiring, no officials inside. Everyone was focused on managing the crowd outside. What about those inside?"
According to Barabanki DM Shashank Tripathi, the electric wire—part of the temple's internal wiring system—broke after monkeys jumped on it, causing it to fall directly onto a metal shed under which devotees had gathered.
As a result, several people came in contact with live electricity. "Two persons died of electrocution on the spot. They were identified as Ramesh Kumar (28), son of Ram Sajeevan, a resident of Nakta Sarehiya Kothi, Haidergarh, and Prashant Kumar (17), son of Ram Kripal, a resident of Mubarakpur, Haidergarh.
Their bodies were sent for postmortem, which confirmed electrocution as the cause of death. The bodies were later handed over to their families for final rites," said Tripathi.
The district administrative officials said that all other devotees sustained minor electric shocks and were taken to the district hospital. All have since been discharged and returned home in stable condition.
"The situation was brought under control swiftly, and the temple premises were secured. Law and order remain normal, and devotees continue to perform darshan and puja at the temple," said Barabanki superintendent of police Arpit Vijayvargiya.
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