Chief minister Pramod Sawant, who visited Sree Lairai Devi Temple in Shirgao village and the injured at North Goa District Hospital in Mapusa following a stampede, announced a detailed inquiry into the incident. "We will make the probe report public," he told reporters, adding that future safety measures would be implemented for all temple festivals in the state.
A stampede at the temple in the early hours of Saturday claimed the lives of six devotees and left more than 30 others injured during the annual Lairai Zatra festival, which draws tens of thousands of pilgrims from Goa and neighboring states.
The incident occurred around 3 a.m. as thousands of devotees crowded the temple’s narrow approach lanes. According to officials, a group of people standing on a slope lost their balance and fell, causing a domino effect that triggered the stampede. Eyewitnesses reported a sudden surge in the crowd movement as the likely cause of panic.
The CM also confirmed that over 50 people had been injured. "This is an unfortunate incident. PM Modi called and assured all possible assistance from the Centre," he said. All state government programmes have been cancelled for the next three days as a mark of respect.
Goa health minister Vishwajit Rane said that five ambulances were dispatched to the site immediately, with additional support on standby. A dedicated ICU has been set up at GMC, and the health department remains on high alert.
North Goa SP Akshat Kaushal said, "We are still trying to determine the exact cause of the incident. However, we have been told that the stampede might have happened due to some people spreading rumours. The biggest challenge for us was to peacefully vacate more than 50,000 people who were inside the temple for the (Larai) Zatra. Around 400 police personnel were deployed here for the Zatra. This is the first time something like this has happened on this occasion."
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Droupadi Murmu, AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal expressed their condolences over the tragedy.
"Saddened by the loss of lives due to a stampede in Shirgao, Goa. May the injured recover soon," the PMO posted on X.
Political reactions poured in, with Opposition parties demanding accountability. The Congress extended condolences and urged the government to provide medical and financial assistance. AITC spokesperson Trajano D'Mello called for a commission-led inquiry, citing alleged lapses in crowd management.
"The AITC demands that a commission be instituted to conduct an inquiry to fix the responsibility and take necessary action. The government should immediately disburse an ex-gratia payment to those affected by death and injuries at this incident," D'Mello said.
Goa Forward Party president Vijai Sardesai said, "The unfortunate stampede, an unprecedented incident that occurred during the famous Lairai Jatra, has shocked Goans. Yesterday, we were told that the administration had deployed 1,000 police personnel and drones to oversee the celebrations. Now that this incident has occurred, where were those 1,000 police personnel?"
Union minister Shripad Yesso Naik said, "I have been seeing (Lairai) Zatra happen since childhood, but we have never seen any such incident happen in the past. Our administration and Police are trying to find the reason. This is not a matter of being unable to manage a crowd because a single person can ruin everything. I visited the 13 patients admitted to the GMC (Goa Medical College). Out of them, three seem critical, but they are recovering."
Goa BJP president Damu Naik said, "Investigation is ongoing and will reveal the cause in an appropriate time."
With four days of the Lairai Zatra festival still remaining, the Congress urged the government to support the temple committee in ensuring the rest of the event proceeds safely.