14/10/2013 11:23
Death toll in India temple stampede rises to 109
The death toll from a stampede at a Hindu festival in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh has risen to 109, the BBC reported, citing local officials.
Many were crushed after panic broke out on a bridge near the Ratangarh temple near the town of Datia. Others died when they jumped from the bridge.
Meanwhile, funeral pyres have been burning throughout the night with many of the victims already cremated.
Hundreds of thousands had gathered for the festival of Navratra (nine nights).
Officials said the stampede may have been sparked by a rumour that the bridge was about to collapse.
"The latest information we have from the ground is that 109 people killed and 133 were injured," news agency AFP quoted Anand Mishra, an officer in the local police control room, as saying on Monday morning.
"We recovered the bodies from the river and from where they were crushed to death," Mr Mishra added.
The accident happened at about 09:00 (03:30 GMT) on Sunday. The victims were mostly women and children, officials said.
The narrow bridge is about 500m long and had only recently been rebuilt following another stampede in 2007.