SRINAGAR (India) (Reuters) – At least 12 people have died and more than a dozen were injured in a stampede on Saturday morning at a Hindu shrine in Kashmir, India, police said.
“Twelve pilgrims died and 14 were injured in a stampede that occurred early this morning at the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine,” said a police officer, adding that all the injured were hospitalized.
The stampede erupted when a huge crowd of worshipers, who had come to celebrate the crossing in 2022, entered the Vaishno Devi Bhawan shrine, another official said.
“Extremely saddened by the loss of human life due to a stampede Mata Vaishno Devi Bhawan,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a message of condolence.
The opening of an investigation has been ordered.
(Report Fayaz Bukhari, French version Laetitia Volga, said by)