Stampede kills 19 at religious gathering in India
A stampede at a religious gathering in northern India killed at least 19 people Saturday as thousands of devotees of a controversial guru tried to cross a bridge at once, police said.
The followers of Jai Gurudev, a leader of a local religious sect, had gathered on the outskirts of Varanasi, a Hindu holy town in Uttar Pradesh state, when the deadly stampede broke out.
"A total of 19 people have died in the incident. Fourteen of the dead are women," Hari Ram Sharma, police inspector general, told reporters in the state capital Lucknow.
At least four others were seriously injured and were undergoing treatment at a nearby hospital.
State police chief Javeed Ahmed blamed overcrowding on the old iron bridge for the disaster.
"They had sought permission for 5,000 persons but many more people reached and joined the procession," Ahmed told India's NDTV news network.
TV footage showed piles of colourful clothing and slippers lying in a heap with policemen trying to clear the debris.
State Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has ordered a high-level enquiry into the tragedy while announcing monetary compensation for the victims, his spokesman Rajendra Chaudhary said.
Stampedes at India's religious festivals, where a mixture of police and volunteer stewards are often overwhelmed by the sheer size of the crowds, are not uncommon.
Around 115 people were killed in October 2013 at a stampede near a temple in the central state of Madhya Pradesh, site of another deadly stampede there seven years earlier.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was saddened by the loss of life in the latest incident.
"I have spoken to officials & asked them to ensure all possible help to those affected due to the stampede in Varanasi," Modi tweeted.