A stampede at a religious gathering in northern India has killed at least 24 people after thousands tried to cross a bridge at once.
The followers of guru Jai Gurudev, a leader of a local religious sect, had gathered on the outskirts of Varanasi, a Hindu holy town in Uttar Pradesh, when the deadly stampede broke out.
At least 20 others were injured in the crush and taken to hospitals nearby.
Police inspector general Hari Ram Sharma confirmed that 24 people died, including 19 women.
Footage showed piles of clothes and slippers lying in a heap as policemen cleared the debris.
A spokesman from the religious sect said the stampede occurred after a rumour spread that the bridge had collapsed, according to local media.
Raj Bahadur said: ‘The devotees were proceeding towards the camp [across the river] but police started sending them back. This led to rumours that the bridge has collapsed.’
A witness added: ‘There was a lot of chaos, all of us were pushed and shoved. Many people have died including my mother.’
Followers of the religious sect gathered for a two-day congregation on the banks of the river Ganges.
State Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has ordered a high-level enquiry into the tragedy and monetary compensation for the victims.
Stampedes at religious festivals in India, where police and volunteer stewards are often overwhelmed by the size of the crowds, are not uncommon.
In July last year, a stampede on the banks of a holy river killed 27 pilgrims in southern India.
Around 115 people were killed in October 2013 at a stampede near a temple in the central state of Madhya Pradesh, site of another deadly stampede there seven years earlier.
Jai Gurudev, who died in 2012, fiercely espoused vegetarianism and claimed ‘to liberate the soul from the rotation of birth and death’ on his website.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was saddened by the loss of life in the latest incident.
He tweeted: ‘I have spoken to officials & asked them to ensure all possible help to those affected due to the stampede in Varanasi.’
