A rush of devotees during the free distribution of food, utensils and clothes set the stage for the stampede, which was triggered when the site's main gate collapsed, said Satya Bhushan Pathak, additional superintendent of police in Pratapgarh district, about 650 kilometers (400 miles) southeast of New Delhi. Devotees had gathered at the temple for a ritual feast. Of the 63 dead, 26 were women and 37 were children.
It was the second deadly temple tragedy in the last three months in India, where every year tens of millions gather in small areas lacking the facilities to control big gatherings. In January, 10 Hindu pilgrims died in a stampede during a religious festival on the Ganges river in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal. The incident took place when hundreds of devotees tried to board a ferry to take them to the festival. Read More...