By IANS
Bhopal : Nine people have been killed and many more were injured in a stampede at a religious fair, attended by around a 100,000 people in a Madhya Pradesh town.
According to the police the incident occurred late Wednesday evening in Ashok Nagar town of Madhya Pradesh’s Guna district, 300 km from here.
Eyewitnesses said a railing at a temple ground where the fair was being organised broke down, which led to the stampede. Eight people died on the spot and one succumbed to his injuries on way to hospital, the police said.
“The stampede occurred when people were jostling for space near a railing which abruptly broke down and people fell over one another because of the push from behind,” an eyewitness told IANS.
The annual fair is organised at the Janki Lav-Kush Temple at village Karila on Rangpanchmi. Bedni dance is also organised as a part of the ritual.
Like every year, over 100,000 devotees had gathered at the temple when the stampede took place.
According to the police, more than a dozen people were injured. They have been admitted to Guna district hospital, where the condition of three was reported to be critical.
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has announced cash assistance of Rs.100,000 each to the kin of the deceased and Rs.20,000 each to the injured.