3 killed in India temple stampede

Three people were killed and several others injured in a stampede that broke out at a Hindu temple in the western Indian state of Rajasthan on Monday morning.

Police said that the tragedy occurred around 6am when hundreds of devotees had gathered for a month-long fair at the temple in Sikar district, over 110 km from state capital Jaipur.

“The stampede broke out at the entrance of the temple. While three women died on the spot, those injured were rushed to a nearby hospital. Some of them have been shifted to a hospital in Jaipur,” a police officer said.

“It is not clear how the stampede occurred. A probe has been ordered,” he added.

Stampede at religious gatherings are not uncommon in India, often attributed to huge crowds and lack of safety protocols.