Stampede at Nainadevi temple kills 145 pilgrims in Himachal Pradesh

By Geetinder Garewal

CHANDIGARH, India (Reuters) - At least 145 people, mostly women and children, were crushed to death under the feet of thousands of pilgrims in a stampede at a temple in Himachal Pradesh on Sunday, police said.

Hindu worshippers were snaking up a 4-km trail leading to the hilltop Nainadevi temple in Bilaspur district, chanting and singing hymns, when the stampede occurred.

Police said the pilgrims might have panicked after heavy rains caused large stones from a retaining wall along the trail to fall.

The pilgrims started fleeing down the slope, breaking an iron railing and trampling falling women and children under their feet, said Daljit Singh Manhas, a senior police officer.

"We have confirmation now that 145 people have been killed," he told Reuters. "We found eight to 10 stones which had fallen off and probably scared the people, causing the stampede."

At least 40 children and 45 women were among the dead, police and health department officials said.

Thousands of worshippers had gathered at the temple, some 150 km north of the town of Chandigarh, to pray to the Hindu goddess Nainadevi during the annual festival.

Authorities said at last 48 other people were seriously injured and they were looking for more injured pilgrims in private clinics.