Sacred night turns tragic: Survivors recall ‘silent blast’

Lucknow: What was meant to be a sacred night of devotion turned into a nightmare for hundreds of pilgrims at the historic Ausaneshwar Mahadev Temple when a short circuit during the rush led to electrocution of two and injuring 46 others.The temple's sanctum plunged into darkness, and wails of the wounded drowned the chants of faith.Geeta (28), a mother of two from Safipur village said: "I was holding my daughter Vaishnavi's hand when we felt something like a shock in our feet. I saw people collapse right in front of me. I thought we would die too. This was not God's blessing — it was a curse," she said.Her elder daughter Vaishnavi (7) clung to her mother, still in shock, said: "The lights went off and people started screaming. A man fell near us. We didn't know what was happening. I closed my eyes and cried."Jyoti (13), another survivor, said: "I was barefoot, and the floor was wet. Suddenly, it felt like my legs were being pulled. I fainted. When I woke up, there was chaos."Eight-year-old Kajal, who suffered a mild shock, said: "I thought everyone had died."Ranjana Pandey (27), who travelled from Haidergarh with her husband, said: "People were trampling over one another. I screamed for help, but no one could hear me."According to Gulshan (19): "There was no proper wiring, no officials inside. Everyone was focused on managing the crowd outside. What about those inside?" Shubham Kumar (24) from Rae Bareli said: "I dragged two unconscious kids out of the corridor. I don't know if they survived."Shivsharan (19) said he saw sparks before hearing screams. "It was as if a bomb exploded silently. No announcement, no warning. Just pain."