Many people went to a temple in India for a traditional New Year’s prayer. Then, for reasons still unknown, panic broke out. Several people die.
Several people have died in a stampede at a Hindu temple in Indian-controlled Kashmir. At least 12 people died and 13 were injured, an official told AFP news agency on Saturday morning. But the death toll could still rise. As a result, many believers were on their way to the temple.
Another civil protection official confirmed the death toll. According to him, the mass panic occurred around 2:45 a.m. (10:15 p.m. German time). The government has ordered a “high-level investigation” into the incident.
Traditional New Year’s Tour
According to authorities, believers flocked to the Hindu shrine Mata Vaishno Devi for the traditional New Year visit to pray there. The temple is one of the most important places of worship for Hindus in northern India and is visited by tens of thousands of believers every day.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences to the bereaved family on Twitter. He was “extremely saddened by the loss of life,” Modi wrote on the internet platform.
