32 people killed in stampede at religious festival in India

A stampede at a popular religious festival in eastern India killed 32 people and injured dozens, an official said on October 3.

"We have information that 32 people, including women and children, were killed in the stampede. Dozens were seriously injured," said Gupteshwar Pandey, a senior Bihar state police official.

A woman is treated after a stampede in India (Source: AFP)

Thousands of people had gathered to celebrate Dussehra at a ground in Patna, the capital of Bihar state, when the chaos broke out, officials said.

It was not immediately clear what caused the stampede, which occurred as crowds left the festival site after watching giant effigies of Hindu demon king Ravana being burned during the festival.

Deadly stampedes often occur at religious festivals in India due to too many people gathering in one place, while medical care is not given due attention./.

According to VNA