A heart-wrenching tragedy struck the famous Lairai Devi Jatra in Shirgao, Goa, in the early hours of Saturday, May 3. Around 3 am, a stampede broke out due to an overwhelming crowd during the fire-walking ritual. At least seven devotees lost their lives, and over 50 others were injured. Of these, at least 15 are said to be in critical condition. During the stampede, some devotees reportedly fell onto stalls due to sudden rush at the time of rituals that had open electric wiring. It is believed that a few people suffered electric shocks from exposed wires during the chaos.
Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant rushed to the site and reviewed the situation. He also visited the injured and the relatives of the deceased at health centres in Dicholi and GMCH (Goa Medical College and Hospital). Calling the incident deeply unfortunate, CM Sawant ordered a detailed inquiry by the North Goa Collector and police authorities. He met the victims’ families and offered his condolences. All government programmes in the state have been cancelled for the next three days.
Eyewitnesses stated that the crowd at this year’s jatra was significantly larger than in previous years. The stampede occurred during the fire-walking ritual. Several devotees fell to the ground and were suffocated due to the crush. Despite the presence of police personnel, crowd control proved impossible.
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Upon learning of the incident, CM Sawant arrived at the Dicholi health centre to check on the injured. He instructed the administrative machinery to begin immediate relief efforts and later visited GMCH to speak with the injured and their families.
Officials including Mamlatdar Abhijit Gavkar, Deputy Collector Bhimanath Khorjuvekar, and Shripad Majik were also present at the site. Dr. Siddhi Kasar and her team at the Dicholi health centre began emergency treatment for the injured.
Those who died in the stampede include Surya Mayekar (Sakhali), Aditya Kawthankar and Tanuja Kawthankar (both from Avchitwado-Thivim), Yashwant Kerkar (Madel-Thivim), Pratibha Kalangutkar (Kumbharjuve), and Sagar Nandarge (Mathwada-Pilgaon). Among the deceased, Aditya and Tanuja were aunt and nephew, from the same family.
From 4 am on Saturday, more than 30 injured devotees were admitted to the North Goa District Hospital in Mapusa. Four of them later succumbed to their injuries. Upon receiving the news, Minister Nilkanth Halarnkar, MLAs Dr. Chandrakant Shetye and Premendra Shet, and North Goa Collector Sneha Geete visited the hospital. Relatives and friends of the injured were also present.
The stampede at the Lairai Jatra has plunged Shirgao village, a sacred destination for lakhs of devotees, into mourning. Chaos erupted after the tragedy, and the exact cause of the stampede is under investigation by Deputy SP Jivba Dalvi and his team from Dicholi.