A tragic stampede at the Lairai Devi Zatra temple in Shirgao, North Goa, claimed six lives and left over 70 injured in the early hours of Saturday. The incident occurred around 4-5 AM when approximately 50,000-70,000 devotees gathered for the annual festival. According to Dinanath Gaonkar, temple president, chaos erupted after a devotee's cane stick accidentally touched a light bulb, causing an electric shock that led him to collapse onto others, triggering the deadly crush.

Police suspect crowd panic and possible rumours may have further escalated the situation. Despite the deployment of 400 police personnel, managing such an immense crowd in the temple's narrow lanes proved challenging. Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant visited the site and ordered a magisterial inquiry.

In the aftermath, both the North Goa collector and superintendent of police were transferred. Authorities are still investigating the precise cause of the tragedy as the community mourns this rare and devastating event.