A stampede broke out at Haridwar’s hilltop Mansa Devi temple where hundreds of devotees had gathered on Sunday, killing at least six and leaving 28 injured, police said. Rumours of an electric current where the stairs to the temple begin triggered panic among people, leading to the stampede, Haridwar’s Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Pramendra Singh Dobal said.

About 35 people were rushed to a hospital and six of them died, he said. The incident took place around 9 am. Being a Sunday, a large crowd of devotees had gathered at the temple atop the Shivalik hills at a height of more than 500 feet. Videos from the spot showed a massive rush of people, including children and women, towards the narrow entrance of the temple and outside the hospital, worried family members waiting for the news of their loved ones.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami meets an injured victim. PIC/PTI