The stampede was triggered by some pilgrims who were trying to retrieve their shoes, which had fallen off in the rush to the river bank.
Source/Credit: The Associated Press
By Omer Farooq | July 14, 2015
HYDERABAD, India — At least 27 people were killed and dozens injured Tuesday in a stampede during a Hindu religious bathing festival on a river bank in southern India.
The stampede occurred in Andhra Pradesh state as tens of thousands of people pushed forward to bathe in the Godavari River on the first day of the Pushkaralu festival, said Arun Kumar, a state administrator.
The stampede was triggered by some pilgrims who were trying to retrieve their shoes, which had fallen off in the rush to the river bank, police said.
Kumar said the incident, which occurred in the town of Rajahmundry, happened not long after the 12-day bathing festival started in the early morning hours.
Andhra Pradesh's chief minister, Chandrababu Naidu, said 27 people died in the stampede.
An additional 34 people were hospitalized with injuries, Kumar said.
Festival participants believe a bath in the river can rid them of their sins, and many believe it is more auspicious to bathe on the festival's first day.
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Read original post here: India: 27 Pilgrims Killed In Stampede During Religious Bathing Festival
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