"Sixty people are confirmed killed and the figure could reach 100," local Deputy Police Inspector General D.K. Arya told AFP.
"The death toll has risen to 91 and 10 others are in a critical condition," Deputy Police Inspector D.K. Arya told AFP after the tragedy in the Datia district of central Madhya Pradesh state.
Police had earlier put the toll at 60.
Arya said the stampede was triggered by rumours that it might collapse after being hit by a heavy vehicle.
"There were rumours that the bridge could collapse after the tractor hit it," he said.
"Many people are feared to have fallen into the river and are unaccounted for."
Other police sources said that some 20,000 people were on the bridge over the River Sindh when the stampede broke out.
Up to 400,000 devotees were already inside or around the temple in Datia district, which is around 350 kilometres north of the state capital Bhopal.
NDTV, an Indian television network, cited sources at the scene as saying the situation was exacerbated by police charging at the crowds with heavy wooden sticks known as lathis.
However Arya insisted "there was no baton-charge".
Hindus are celebrating the end of the Navaratri festival, dedicated to the worship of the Hindu god Durga, which draws millions of worshippers to temples especially in northern India.
India has a long history of deadly stampedes at religious festivals, with at 36 people trampled to death back in February as pilgrims headed home from the Kumbh Mela religious festival on the banks of the river Ganges.
Some 102 Hindu devotees were killed in a stampede in January 2011 in the state of Kerala while 224 pilgrims died in September 2008 as thousands of worshippers rushed to reach a 15th-century hill-top temple in Jodhpur.
COMMENTS (39)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
It's tragic we can control the loss of lives as was done by stupendous effort by NDRF in Phiallin we braced a super cyclone and the rescue was at par of being done in western countries the IMD was spot on in it's prediction while it's American counter-part exaggerated the figures when we can do such amazing thing why can't we stop such incidents which are frequent it's because of lack of will the administration in M.P should take stock of situation suspend the police officers who were taking bribes and lathi-charging normal devotees and common 150 police officers for 150000 to 400000 it was like inviting such tragic stampedes.
@ Talha Rizvi
While you're scolding every Indian here on an article about 90 deaths..do you have a blind spot for Zafar's 'peaceful' comment ? Or do you only scold non-muslims ...
@ Np
You forgot to acknowledge anti-elitist rawalpindi for his condolences.
@Np: You better look at message to which i have responded . The message of @indian makes bombastic claim of Modi being messiah for RSS/ BJP supporters. Such tragedies showz failure on part of organisers . This is in stark contrast with excellent work done in Odisha abd AP to handle natural calamity.
@IndiaFirst V/s HinduRashtra:
This news item had nothing to do with Modi or Gujarat or India's political scenario. The Gujarat riots happened 11 years back and Modi HAS prevented communal riots in past 11 years. He also brought the riots to stop on he 3rd day by calling the army. Neither were those riots the first or the last riots to occur in India or Gujarat but they were the last riots to occur in Gujarat.
@Talha Rizvi: No. Human tragedy sould never be made fun of. Whoever does that sows lack of grace. - be it Indian or Pakistani. But if you think that some Indian peo,e's bad behavior justifies other Pakistani people's bad behavior I disagree. Plus I have notice you accuse people of trolling and spewing bile against Pakistan and Islam when they have said nothing about Islam and simply expressed an opinion about an event that differed from your. Neither is such a discussion considered trolling, nor is it considered spewing venom.
@Usman Masood: When the news item is about India, why would Indians not write?
@Peshawer101: @yash: @Shehzaad:
Shame on you for making fun of people dying.
@asif, @Parvez
Thank you for your humanity.
@ Zafar
Insulting hindu dieties ...very classy man.. Glad to see that so many hindu's didn't stoop to Zafar's level and return the compliments.
Well in crowded places this happens. You can not be perfect all the time.
What's strange is ET has not published any story on Phalin cyclone. How severe it was and how Govt. has saved human lives.
Tragic beyond words because things like this should not happen.......anywhere.
@Usman Masood Likewise. I agree Pakistanis must stop interfering in Indian affairs. Accept the borders of 1947 and concentrate on creating the paradise of Pakistan.
@YAN: @secularindia: @Aakashvaani: @Hafiz: @Indian: @Chulbul Pandey: @Bharat: So it's okay to make fun of Pakistanis dying in incidents of terrorism even floods but you guys start crying when somebody pays you in the same coin. @Hafiz the hypocrite who commented on the deaths in Peshawar blast saying he loves TTP so why get self-righteous now? @ Water bottle: Was that comment really needed? Typical Indian troll. @raj: Get out of a Pakistani site and stop posting filth from afar coward. You sound like the typical semi-illiterate Hinduvta troll. @ET please allow this comment and don't you know that Paki is a racial slur? Would you post comments calling Blacks negroes?
Can Indians stop commenting on ET? Get a life and go visit an Indian forum to comment on. TROLLS.
@YAN: And visa versa
@@indians: so Modi with loud mouth , reeling out tall claims..like evacuation of 15,000 Gujaratis during uttarakhand tragedy...will bring solace? Let Modi have guts and humility to say sorry for failing to avoid man-made tragedy in Godhra. His dream of being PM shall remain dream!!!
@Shehzaad: Whom do you blame for your berth.
it is sad to see tragic loss of life
To All, On the same day India successfully evacuated 800,000 people from the eye of the storm Phailin and saved many lives, kudos to india and its administration for this brave act. Stampede is a very sad incident which has taken the full credit away.
@Zafar: Rama get angry at Hindus for worshipping the Shiva lingam
Such ignorant and hateful comment, Zafar ji. When people die during Haj stampede, do you have similar comment on Islamic religious figures? . In our culture, it is customary to offer shoulder to a dead man even though one is complete stranger to the deceased. Even the fighting armies have the courtesy to let the enemy take their dead back. . But you my friend, could not even utter a word of sympathy and instead are using this tragedy in an despicable manner. Are you devoid of any humanity? . Some neighbor you are!
UNFORTUNATE INCIDENT BUT LOOK HOW PAKISTANIS MAKE FUN OF IT,IT PROVES ANY TRAGEDY IN INDIA IS DELIGHT FOR PAKIS,SO MUCH HATRED
According to initial investigations, the rumors were originated from a call which was traced from Pakistan. ISI supported must be behind this conspiracy!!
@Zafar from ur comment one can find the level of hate u have towards people of other faith.its the hate in ur thinking that is causing most harm to ur country pakistan. that we can see towards ur muslim breaten shia,ahmadi Oh... ahmadi are not muslims and god knows what condition of other faith (hindu,christian.......) .
@Zafar from ur comment one can find the level of hate u have towards people of other faith.its the hate in ur thinking that is causing most harm to ur country pakistan. that we can see towards ur muslim breaten shia,ahmadi and god knows what condition of other faith (hindu,christian.......) .
My Dear indian friends..instead of saying that Pakistanis are coward or how pitty is it that pakistanis are having fun ( Instead it is always Indian who do the same)..and telling us how trustworthy we are or we are not..it is better for you guys to introspect and concentrate on your issues..you guys are on a path of self destruction...you don't need enemies..just make modi your PM and I pray for it that he becomes one..then you will be near to your destruction with civil wars between ethnicities and religions..and maoist..naxals..kashmirs..khalistan..seven sister states..
Very sad...My best condolence those who died.
@Shehzaad: you peoples are liar, denial of truth recent example you peoples denied pakistani girls malala as a pakistani. @mod for you.
We need to mantain a balance here. Stampedes have happened during the Hajj as well. Innocents have died. Our hatred of the Indian establishment and the particular mind set, should not not blind us to this human tragedy. Furthermore the Indians on this website need to calm themselves down(but perhaps that is asking for too much...)
Rama get angry at Hindus for worshipping the Shiva lingam
This is one of avoidable tragedies, which occurs around world at various religious places where there is large congregation of people. Better crowd management and planning by local administration can avoid unfortunate tragedy. Safety , somehow is not ingrained in most of people in South Asia, Africa. Flouting of safety rules is more of routine than exception..educated class ignoring announcements to shut mobiles or put on seat belts etc during flight taking off/ landings. Educated class in India feel proud and macho when they use mobiles while driving, don't wear sear belts or just ignore traffic signals. With such poor track record of common man , who is highly educated connected on net, having all knowledge ..but very poor in following the safety rules...it's long way before such tragedies can be avoided fully. Let us not blame government..as government is made up of we educated people .
Don't worry pakis we are not like you to blame everything on hinoods and yahoods.
Indian Media:Hafiz Saeed involved in this incident.
Its a very tragic way to go from this world. May the families of the departed have patience and courage to deal with their loss. Its a sad story in most third world countries that the people get panic and break discipline thus such tragedies happen. Same as in Saudi Arabia hajj event or Pakistan shrine visits. You don't see this happening in first world countries to such extent I was nearly suffocated in a stampede as a child when I got to visit a circus. It was horrible and very scary.
@Shehzaad:
If India blamed ISI for the death of a dog in a village in the North east, the world will believe.
That's how much we are trusted and that's how much you Pakistanis are distrusted.
Even China is likely to believe us than you.
Think about that.
It's a pity that Pakis are making fun of this tragedy and loss of human lives in an unfortunate incident. You people are not even fit to be called humans :-(
Very Sad :( ------ India don't blame ISI for it pleaseeeeeeeee
super people of super India.. what went wrong???
@Shehzaad: we might ... but the fun is u wont still have guts to reply back!! cowards :p
Now they will blame the ISI and Pak Army for it
OMG!! dats sad.......... every time the coz of a stampede has been rumours...cant anything be done......??