India Stampede: At Least 10 Killed at Deoghar’s Baidyanath Jyotirlinga Temple

At least ten people have been killed and 20 injured in a stampede at the Baidyanath Jyotirlinga temple in the eastern Indian state of Jharkhand, officials say.

Pilgrims have been marking a Hindu religious festival in Deoghar town.

It happened as pilgrims tried to make their way into the complex, a district official said.

The stampede at the Baidyanath Jyotirlinga temple began after pilgrims surged towards the shrine shortly after the doors opened on August 10, an official told the AFP news agency.

Monday is considered an auspicious date to visit the shrine, which includes a main temple and 21 smaller ones devoted to Shiva, the god of destruction.

Pilgrims sleeping in the 4 miles long queue were trampled as others pushed towards the doors, senior police official SN Pradhan said.

“Many tried to rush to the head of the queue which led to chaos and as some of them fell, the devotees got trampled.”

“Ten people including one female devotee are now confirmed dead. Another 15 to 20 people have received injuries,” he said.

Deadly stampedes are common during Indian religious festivals, which attract large crowds with few safety measures in place.