Goa Stampede: At Least 6 Dead, Over 60 Injured During Lairai Jatra

At least six people are dead and over 60 injured after a stampede took place during the annual Devi Lairai Jatra in Shirgao village in Goa in the early hours of Saturday.

Deceased Identified

As per a report in The Times of India, the deceased are identified as: Surya Mayekar, a resident of Sakhali in Bicholim; Pratibha Kalangutkar from Kumbharjua; Yeshwant Kerkar from Thivim; Sagar Nandarge of Mathwada, Piligao; and Aditya Kauthankar and Tanuja Kauthankar, both residents of Auchit Wada, Thivim.

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant visited the North Goa District Hospital in Mapusa to meet the injured.Thousands of devotees from Goa, Maharashtra and Karnataka had gathered at the temple for the festival, he said, adding that the exact cause of the stampede would be ascertained after a probe.

As per a report in NDTV, an electric shock possibly caused the devotees to panic, eventually leading to the stampede.

PM Modi Speaks To Sawant

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reportedly spoken to Goa Chief Minister Sawant and has taken stock of the situation. He has also expressed condolences over the incident.

In a post on X, the PMO wrote: " Saddened by the loss of lives due to a stampede in Shirgao, Goa. Condolences to those who lost their loved ones. May the injured recover soon. The local administration is assisting those affected"

On the other hand, the Goa Congress has said that it is saddened by the stampede at Jatrotsav of Shree Lairai Devi,Shirgao. "We condemn this tragic incident and offer heartfelt condolences to the families who lost their loved ones. Wishing a speedy recovery to all those injured," it said in a post on X.

Among the six, two are women, Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said. Out of 60 injured, the condition of eight victims are critical and two people have bene referred to Goa Medical College (GMC) for specialised treatment, TOI reported.

"We dispatched five ambulances through 108 services to the site. Three were stationed at Asilo, and three more kept on standby until the situation stabilised," the state health minister said, stating that all necessary medical arrangements have been made. "We are closely monitoring each patient's condition. Nodal officers from GMC and Asilo have been appointed to oversee the response. Regular updates will be provided," the Rane added.

However, it is still unclear what led to the stampede.