A STAMPEDE at a Hindu temple in eastern India’s Bihar state today left seven people dead and more than a dozen injured.

The incident occurred near Ashok Dham Temple in Lakhisarai district, as thousands of devotees gathered to offer prayers on the third Monday of Shravan, one of the holiest months in the Hindu calendar. 

More than a dozen people were taken to a government hospital for treatment and the cause of the stampede was under investigation, said civil official Shailendra Kumar. 

It came hours after a fire swept through a hotel housing pilgrims in Tarapith, in West Bengal’s Birbhum district state.

Many of the guests were visiting Tarapith to offer prayers at a major temple complex.

Firefighters brought the blaze under control and the injured were taken to a hospital where some were being treated for burn injuries while others suffered from smoke inhalation and asphyxiation, the report said.

Authorities are investigating the incident and have not yet established the exact cause.