A police official said the incident occurred around 3 a.m. at the Sree Lairai Devi temple in Shirgao village, about 40 kilometers from Panaji.
He said a stampede broke out and thousands of devotees squeezed narrow driveways into the annual temple.
Police Director General Alok Kumar said in a conversation with PTI that six people were killed while several others were being treated at different hospitals in the state.
“At least 30,000 to 40,000 people gathered at the festival, some stood on the slopes. Several people fell on the slopes, causing others to fall down each other,” the official said.
He said 40 to 50 people fell on the slope, resulting in stampedes, which were confined to the site.
Thousands of devotees from Goa, Maharashtra and Karnataka attended the temple’s annual festival.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant visited the injured at a North Goa Regional Hospital.
Sawant said in an article on X that he received a call from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who provided full support.
He wrote: “I was deeply saddened by the tragic stampede in Lairai Zatra in Shirgaon this morning. I went to the hospital to see the injured injured and provided all possible support to the affected families. I am personally monitoring the situation to ensure that all necessary measures are taken.”
“Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri @Narendramodi ji talked to me and explained the situation in detail, providing full support during this difficult time.”
State Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said at least 30 people were injured, eight of them in critical condition and two were handed over to the Goa Medical College and hospital in Banbolm.
He said eight injured people were admitted to North Goa regional hospitals, while 10 injured were treated for minor injuries.
Renne said the health department has taken comprehensive steps to manage the situation immediately.
“We coordinated with 108 ambulance services to ensure that five ambulances were sent to the scene immediately after the incident, and three ambulances were in North Goa regional hospitals,” he said.
Rane said more doctors were tied up and set up a dedicated ICU with a ventilator to provide combined care.
“All the necessary arrangements have been made and we are closely monitoring every patient,” he said.
