New Delhi, August 17, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday announced ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the next of kin of those killed in separate incidents in Bihar’s Lakhisarai and West Bengal’s Birbhum. The injured will receive Rs 50,000 each.
The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) announced the assistance following a stampede at the Ashok Dham temple in Lakhisarai, where at least seven devotees were killed and several others injured.
Earlier, Modi expressed grief over the deaths and prayed for the speedy recovery of those injured.
The stampede occurred as a large number of devotees gathered at the temple to offer prayers and perform rituals on the third Monday of the holy month of Sawan.
In a separate announcement, the PMO said Rs 2 lakh would also be provided from the PMNRF to the next of kin of each person killed in a mishap in Birbhum, while those injured would receive Rs 50,000.
The death toll in a fire at a hotel in Tarapith in Birbhum district rose to seven on Monday, according to police. Hotel owner Kalyan Paul has been arrested in connection with the incident.
Birbhum District Police Superintendent Vidit Raj Bundesh confirmed the revised death toll and the arrest of Paul, who owns the hotel, ‘Bideshini’.
Police are investigating whether the hotel’s firefighting arrangements were functional and whether mandatory fire-safety requirements had been followed.
Several residents alleged that a rear exit of the hotel was locked, preventing them from escaping. The allegation contradicts Paul’s earlier claim that panic prevented some guests from locating the rear exit, prompting them to rush towards the reception area, where several people were caught in the fire.
The investigating officer is examining both the residents’ allegations and the hotel owner’s account.
The fire broke out at around 5 a.m. at the hotel located next to Tarapith Police Station. The fire department’s preliminary assessment indicated that a short circuit may have caused the blaze.
Smoke reportedly reached the fifth floor, while the fire was largely confined to the first floor and partially affected the second floor, limiting the extent of casualties.
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