- Stampede at Ashokdham Temple in Bihar has resulted in 7 fatalities and left over a dozen others injured.
- The EU's foreign policy chief, Kallas, announced plans for the most far-reaching sanctions listings since the start of the war against Russia, to be presented in autumn.
- The new sanctions, once adopted, would immediately raise the total number of sanctioned Russian entities by a third, as part of sustained pressure until Moscow ends its war.
- Kallas did not provide further details on the timing or specifics of the new sanctions package.
A deadly stampede occurred at Ashokdham Temple in Bihar, India, on Monday, resulting in seven fatalities and over a dozen injuries. The chaos was triggered by a snapped electric wire that caused panic among the thousands of devotees present for the third Monday of Shravan, a significant month in the Hindu calendar.
According to civil official Shailendra Kumar, the incident took place around 6:30 a.m. as worshippers rushed to escape what they feared was a risk of electrocution. A section of barricades collapsed under the weight of the crowd, leading to a crush where people fell over one another. More than a dozen individuals were taken to a government hospital for treatment.
Crowd crushes during religious festivals are not uncommon in India, where large gatherings often occur in confined spaces with inadequate safety measures. For instance, last year, at least 30 people died during the Maha Kumbh festival, and in 2013, a similar incident resulted in 115 deaths at a temple in Madhya Pradesh.
In a separate context, the European Union is preparing to implement its most extensive sanctions against Russia this autumn, aiming to increase pressure on Moscow's military operations. EU sanctions have already cost Russia over €1 trillion ($1.16 trillion), and the new measures are expected to raise the total number of sanctioned Russian entities by a third, according to reports.2
“The EU's foreign policy chief Kallas said the new sanctions would immediately raise the total number of sanctioned Russian entities by a third, and that pressure must keep growing until Moscow ends its war. She did not elaborate on timing or details of the package.”
