Tens of thousands of devotees throng narrow lanes leading to a Hindu temple in the coastal state, causing the deadly crush
\n Goa
\nAt least six people have been killed and about 80 others were injured in a crowd crush at a temple in the western Indian state of Goa where tens of thousands of Hindu worshippers had assembled, officials said.
\nThe incident happened on Friday night as thousands of devotees thronged narrow lanes leading to the Hindu temple in Goa\u2019s Shirgao village, some 40km (24 miles) from the state capital of Panaji.
\nPeople had gathered during the annual Shri Lairai Zatra festival at the Sree Lairai Devi temple, which is popular for events including firewalking rituals, during which devotees walk barefoot over a bed of burning coals to seek blessings.
\nAccording to a report by the Press Trust of India news agency, people standing on a slope near the temple fell over, pushing more people to fall onto each other, Director General of Police Alok Kumar said.
\nGoa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said in a statement that he was \u201cdeeply saddened by the tragic stampede\u201d. He visited the hospital and said that \u201call possible support\u201d would be given to the families of those killed or injured.
\nVishwajit Rane, Goa state\u2019s health minister, said \u201capproximately 80\u201d people were injured. \u201cFive are critical and on ventilator support, while the remaining are being treated in the specially created emergency ward,\u201d he said.
\nPrime Minister Narendra Modi\u2019s office expressed \u201ccondolences to those who lost their loved ones\u201d. \u201cThe local administration is assisting those affected,\u201d Modi said on social media.
\nDeadly crushes occur regularly at religious festivals across India, where large crowds often gather in small areas.
\nIn January, at least 30 people were killed and many more were injured as tens of thousands of Hindus rushed to bathe in a sacred river at India\u2019s massive Maha Kumbh festival, the world\u2019s largest religious gathering, in the northern Uttar Pradesh state.
\nIn July last year, at least 116 people died, most of them women and children, when a crowd of thousands at a religious gathering in northern India surged at a tent camp in Hathras town in the same state.
\nAnother 18 people, mostly women and children, were killed in a crowd crush at a train station in India\u2019s capital New Delhi in February.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Tens of thousands of devotees throng narrow lanes leading to a Hindu temple in the coastal state, causing the deadly crush Goa At least six people have been killed and about 80 others were injured in a crowd crush at a temple in the western Indian state of Goa where tens of thousands of Hindu […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":476305,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-476293","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n