Stampede on Bridge Kills 89 Indian Pilgrims

Panic ensued amid rumors that bridge was on verge of collapse

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AP / AP

The bodies of victims of a stampede lie on a bridge across the Sindh River in Datia district in Madhya Pradesh state, India, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2013.

A stampede on a narrow bridge at a Hindu festival in central India has left at least 89 people dead, mostly women and children, the BBC reports.

Rumors that the bridge, reportedly holding thousands of people, was unstable sparked a panicked rush to get off. Some jumped into the river. Other reports say the crowd panicked in response to police using batons.

Hundreds of thousands of people were gathered near the Ratangarh temple in Madhya Pradesh state. 

Stampedes have occurred with tragic frequency in India, where Hindu festivals draw massive crowds. In 2011, more than 100 died in the southern state of Kerala, and dozens have died at three separate incidents this year.

[BBC]