At least 80 fatally crushed in stampede at India temple
JODHPUR, INDIA — At least 80 people were crushed to death and more than 100 were injured today when thousands of pilgrims stampeded at a Hindu temple in this historic town in western India, according to authorities.
Jodhpur Police Supt. Malini Agarwal said severe overcrowding apparently caused the crush as more than 12,000 people gathered to celebrate a Hindu festival.
Television footage showed dozens of bodies on the sidewalk, while nearby, frantic people tried to revive unconscious devotees, slapping their faces and pressing on their chests.
Others dragged people by their arms and legs, running down a ramp that leads to the temple inside the massive 15th century Mehrangarh Fort that overlooks the town.
On Aug. 3, dozens of Hindu pilgrims fell through a broken guardrail and scores more were trampled when thousands of devotees panicked at the remote mountaintop Naina Devi Temple, leaving 145 dead, police said.
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