109 worshippers killed in stampede across bridge in India amid claims police charged festival-goers heading to temple with batons
- Women and children make up majority of those killed
- Police say a rumour that the bridge was collapsing started the crush
- However witnesses suggest police baton charge was to blame
- Hindus were celebrating the festival of Navaratri
- Bridge had just been repaired following another stampede in 2007
Around 109 worshippers have been killed and another 100 injured after fears that police charged a crowd causing a stampede.
The Hindu festival-goers started to panic as they crossed a narrow bridge and then tried to escape.
The dead are mostly women and children who were unable to escape the crowd and were crushed to death.
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Indian villagers on tractors move past bodies of victims of a stampede on a bridge across the Sindh River in Datia district in Madhya Pradesh state, India
The bridge across the river Sindh was narrow, 500m long and had just been rebuilt following a stampede in 2007
Deputy inspector general DK Arya appeared to deny that officers had caused the tragedy, saying police wielding sticks had charged the crowd in an effort to contain the panic at Ratangarh in Madhya Pradesh state.
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The Hindus were heading towards the temple of Ratangarh, located in Madhya Pradesh, central India
Worshippers retaliated by hurling stones and one policeman was badly injured.
D.K. Arya added: 'The death toll could go much higher as about 25,000 people were present on the bridge at that time.'
However, local devotee Atul Chaudhary, who survived the crush, told BBC Hindi there had been just a couple of thousand people on the bridge.
He said: 'Several people could be seen flattened to the ground in the midst of the melee.Some of the youngsters panicked and jumped into the swollen river.
'I and my friends were close to the exit point and along with several others ran for safety. Scores of others were not so lucky.'
Officials said the dead included 42 women, 30 children and 17 men.
The narrow bridge is about 500m long, and had only recently been rebuilt following another stampede in 2007.
Local media said 500,000 visitors had gone to the village in central India to celebrate.
At least 91 people have been killed and another 100 injured as Hindu worshippers stampeded across a bridge in central India
Pilgrims heading towards the Ratangarh temple through the Sindhu River bridge where a stampede took place, in Datia district of Madhya Pradesh on Sunday morning
People gather near the bridge on the Sindhu River leading to the Ratangarh temple in Datia district of Madhya Pradesh, after the stampede on Sunday morning
They were heading to temple to mark the last day of the festival of Navaratri, honouring the Mother Goddess Durga.
The final day, known as Dussehra and celebrated predominantly in northern India, is a celebration of the defeat of the demon king Ravana by Lord Rama.
It involves building effigies of Ravana which are then burned, as well as worshipping the objects of wealth-creation, including cars and laptops.
The exact date varies across the country as the festival days are determined by the lunar calendar.
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