A tragic event occurred in Goa late Friday night when a stampede at the Shri Lairai Devi Temple in Shirgao resulted in at least six deaths and more than 15 injuries. This happened during the Shri Lairai Zatra, a popular festival in Goa.
According to North Goa SP Akshat Kaushal, the stampede left six people dead and injured over 15 others. Many were at the temple for the dhondachi zatra, where people walk barefoot on burning embers as part of their devotion. The exact reason for the stampede is still being investigated, and officials have not yet released the names of those who died.
Emergency services acted quickly, sending five ambulances to the scene. Goa’s Health Minister, Vishwajit Rane, confirmed that four victims—two men and two women—were declared dead upon arrival at the hospital. Rane mentioned, “We are monitoring the injured closely.” The injured were taken to Goa Medical College (GMC) in Bambolim and the North Goa District Hospital in Mapusa.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant visited the hospitals to check on the victims and also went to the festival site with officials. Even though around 1,000 police were on duty and drones were used for monitoring the crowd, the situation got out of control.
The dhondachi zatra is a significant part of the religious event, celebrating devotion to Goddess Lairai, who is linked to Goddess Parvati. Sadly, this year’s tragedy overshadowed the festival. The families of the victims are now left to deal with this loss, and many injured devotees are still recovering in hospitals. Authorities have promised a full investigation into the incident. More details will be available soon.
Leave a Reply