6 dead, dozens injured in north India Hindu temple crowd surge
Crowd surges are not uncommon in India, where massive groups often congregate at religious sites, overwhelming local infrastructure and security
The incident in the pilgrimage city of Haridwar occurred after a high-voltage electric wire reportedly fell on a temple path, triggering panic among the large crowd of devotees.
Vinay Shankar Pandey, a senior government official in Uttarakhand state where the incident happened, confirmed the deaths and said worshippers scrambled for safety following the incident.
Some 29 people were injured, according to Haridwar city’s senior police official Pramendra Singh Doval.
Thousands of pilgrims had gathered at the Mansa Devi hilltop temple, which is a major site for Hindu devotees, especially on weekends and festival days, local officials said. They were celebrating the holy month of Shravan.
Someone in the crowd shouted about an electric current on the pathway around 9am.
“Since the path is narrow and meant only for foot traffic, confusion and panic spread instantly,” said local priest Ujjwal Pandit.