New Delhi, March 31 -- At least eight women lost their lives and several others sustained injuries on Tuesday after a stampede-like situation broke out during a religious congregation at the Sheetla Temple in Nalanda district, Bihar. The tragedy unfolded as an exceptionally large number of devotees converged on the temple premises for worship, creating conditions of severe overcrowding that ultimately proved fatal for those caught in the crush.

The incident has prompted the immediate deployment of relief and rescue personnel at the site, with operations currently under way to assist the injured and restore order to the area.

Nalanda, a district of considerable religious and historical significance in the state of Bihar, has seen such ga...