At least six persons, including two women, were killed, and more than 70 sustained injuries after a stampede broke out during a temple festival at a village in North Goa in the wee hours of Saturday, officials said.
PTI reported that soon after the incident, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has announced an inquiry into the incident that occurred around 3 am at Sree Lairai Devi temple in Shirgao village, about 40 km from Panaji.
According to the police, the stampede broke out as thousands of devotees thronged the narrow lanes to the temple for the annual festival.
Director General of Police Alok Kumar said six people were killed while several others were undergoing treatment in different hospitals of the state.
“At least 30,000 to 40,000 people had gathered for the festival, and some were standing on a slope. A few persons fell on the slope, causing others to tumble on each other,” the official said.
He said 40 to 50 people fell on the slope, and the stampede was confined to that spot.
Thousands of devotees from Goa, Maharashtra and Karnataka attend the annual festival at the temple.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant visited the injured at the North Goa district hospital and the stampede site.
