NEW DELHI, Aug. 17 -- A stampede at a Hindu temple and a hotel fire in eastern India have left 14 people dead and several others injured.

The stampede occurred Monday near Ashok Dham Temple in Lakhisarai, Bihar, where thousands of devotees had gathered during the holy month of Shravan. Seven people died and more than a dozen were injured. Preliminary reports suggest that an electrical wire may have snapped outside the temple, causing panic among worshippers who feared electrocution. As the crowd rushed to safety, part of a barricade collapsed, resulting in a deadly crush.

Hours earlier, a fire broke out at a four-story hotel in Tarapith, West Bengal, where many guests were pilgrims visiting nearby temples. The fire started on the ground...