By IANS,
Kanpur (Uttar Pradesh) : At least one person was killed and over a dozen injured Tuesday following a stampede at the famous Panki Hanuman temple on the outskirts of Kanpur, police said.
The incident took place on the occasion of the annual festival of Budhwa Mangal as thousands thronged the temple for a ‘darshan’ of the deity early Tuesday.
In an attempt to stop the surging crowds from breaking off the cordons, police used mild force, leading to a stampede in which a 38-year-old Purushottam Prajapati died.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kanpur, Amitabh Yash said additional police force had been posted outside the temple since Monday night.
This is the third stampede in a religious place in Uttar Pradesh in less than 10 days.
On Sep 16, four pilgrims were injured when heavy rush led to a stampede in the famous Bankey Bihari temple in Vrindavan. Exactly a week later, on Sep 23, two women died and over 12 people injured as massive crowds thronged the Radha Rani temple in Uttar Pradesh’s Mathura district.
In Jharkhand, nine people were killed in similar circumstances Monday when thousands crammed into a prayer hall to celebrate the 125th birth anniversary of spiritual guru Thakur Anukul Chand.