SHIRGAO, Goa—In the pre-dawn haze of April 16, a vibrant festival at the Sree Lairai Devi temple in North Goa’s Shirgao village spiraled into chaos. What began as a sacred gathering of thousands, pulsing with devotion and tradition, ended in tragedy: seven lives lost, over 80 injured, and a community left grappling with shock. The cause? A deadly domino effect on a sloping patch of ground, where a few stumbled, others fell, and panic took hold.
The Shri Lairai Zatra, a centuries-old festival honoring Goddess Lairai, draws devotees from Goa, Maharashtra, and Karnataka. On April 15, as the event kicked off, an estimated 30,000 to 40,000 pilgrims packed the temple grounds. Many stood shoulder-to-shoulder on a nearby slope, a vantage point to witness the rituals. But around 3:45 a.m. the next day, something went wrong. A handful of people lost their footing on the incline. As they tumbled, others were pulled down in a crush of bodies, sparking a stampede that tore through the crowd.
Police reports paint a grim picture: 40 to 50 people fell in a single spot, triggering a chain reaction. The chaos was confined to that slope, but its impact was devastating. Six people were pronounced dead before reaching medical care; a seventh succumbed later. The injured, some with broken bones or severe bruises, were rushed to nearby hospitals, including the North Goa District Hospital in Mapusa.
Goa’s Chief Minister, Pramod Sawant, was on the scene by morning, visiting the wounded and overseeing the response. He announced an inquiry to uncover the precise trigger—early reports point to a possible rumor that may have sparked panic, though details remain murky. Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached out to Sawant, pledging full support. Emergency teams worked through the night, navigating the challenge of evacuating victims from a packed, frenzied site.
The Sree Lairai Devi temple, nestled in Shirgao’s rolling hills, is no stranger to massive crowds. Its annual festival is a cornerstone of Goan culture, where devotees offer prayers and walk through fire pits to honor the goddess. But this year, the sheer volume of attendees, combined with the treacherous slope, turned celebration into catastrophe. Authorities are now scrutinizing crowd control measures and the layout of the festival grounds.
As the sun rose on April 16, Shirgao was a village in mourning. Families searched for loved ones, hospitals buzzed with urgency, and investigators combed the site for answers. The inquiry’s findings, expected in the coming weeks, will determine what steps must follow to prevent another tragedy. For now, the temple stands quiet, its festival cut short by a disaster no one saw coming.
Seven people died. More than 80 were injured. The stampede occurred at the Sree Lairai Devi temple in Shirgao, North Goa, on April 16 during the Shri Lairai Zatra festival. An estimated 30,000 to 40,000 attended. The incident was caused by people falling on a slope, leading to a crush. An inquiry is underway.