Navratri: 10 killed in Bihar temple stampede

BANKA (Bihar): At least ten persons were killed and as many injured in a stampede that broke out on Saturday night during a ritual at a Durga temple in Bihar's Banka district on the occasion of ' Navratri' festival.

More than 45,000 devotees had thronged the temple at Tildiha village under Sambhuganj police station area for offering prayers and sacrificing goats when the stampede occurred, DGP Neelmani told media in Patna.

"Ten deaths have been confirmed so far, while four are stated to be in critical condition," district magistrate Aadesh Chitarmare said.

The stampede occurred in the jam-packed temple campus after a portion of the sacrificed body of the goat fell on some devotees, creating a scare leading to a mad rush among the gathering.

The injured are being treated at hospitals in Tarapur and Banka.