Tragedy As Six Dies In Temple Stampede

Tragedy As Six Dies In Temple Stampede

At least six people were crushed to death at a Hindu religious gathering in India, with several more injured, officials said Thursday.

Deadly accidents are common at places of worship in India during major religious festivals due to poor crowd management and safety lapses.

In July last year, 121 people were killed in northern Uttar Pradesh state during a Hindu religious gathering.

Another 112 people died in 2016 after a huge explosion caused by a banned fireworks display marking the Hindu new year at a temple in southern Kerala state.

Wednesday’s incident comes days before the start of the Kumbh Mela, a six-week Hindu festival of prayer and sacred bathing expected to be the largest religious gathering in history.

Up to 400 million pilgrims are expected to attend, according to organisers.