Lakhisarai, Bihar: At least seven people were killed and more than a dozen others injured in a stampede like incident at the Ashok Dham temple in Bihar's Lakhisarai district on Monday, officials said.

According to police, the incident may have been triggered after an electricity pole fell, leading to panic and a sudden rush among devotees gathered at the temple. The crowd had assembled to offer water to Lord Shiva during the holy month of Shravan.

Senior police officer Shivam Kumar said the exact cause of the incident is still being verified.

"It is being said that an electric pole fell there and people were electrocuted, which led to a stampede like situation. We can tell you the exact reason only after verifying everything," he said.

More than a dozen injured people were taken to hospitals for treatment. Civil official Shailendra Kumar said rescue and medical teams were deployed immediately after the incident.

Visuals from the area showed relatives gathering at hospitals as rescuers brought in the injured.

Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary expressed grief over the deaths, calling the incident extremely tragic and heartbreaking. In a post on X, he said he was deeply distressed by the loss of lives.

Authorities are continuing to investigate the sequence of events that led to the tragedy.