Two elderly devotees waiting to pay obeisance at Ayodhya Ram temple die, police deny stampede claim

Ayodhya (UP): Two elderly devotees from Haryana who had come to pay obeisance at the Ram temple in Ayodhya, died on Monday, official sources said.

Police have denied social media claim that the deaths were caused by a stampede.

The devotees -- a woman and a man -- fainted outside the temple and were rushed to Sri Ram Hospital where they died, the police said.

Both victims were aged above 60 and are yet to be identified. The exact cause of the deaths is not known but officials suspect that they died of cardiac arrest.

The police said in a statement that some people and groups on some social media platforms were claiming that the two devotees died due to the rush of people.

"This is misleading and no such thing happened. Elaborate security arrangements are in place in Ayodhya. The woman devotee died due to cardiac arrest," they said.

Ayodhya witnessed a rush of devotees on Monday, with many returning from the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj arriving at the temple town to pay obeisance to Ram Lalla in the new temple.

All roads leading to Hanuman Garhi and the Ram temple are blocked due to overcrowding.