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1st LD Writethru: 25 injured in temple stampede in southern India

Xinhua, December 26, 2016 Adjust font size:

At least 25 people have been injured in a stampede at a crowded temple in the southern Indian state of Kerala late Sunday evening, a senior police official said.

"The stampede broke out at the Sabarimala temple at around 7 p.m. (local time) after some devotees tried to break a long queue to have a glimpse of their idol. Already there was a huge rush and some people cutting into the queue led to the incident," the official said on condition of anonymity.

All of the 25 injured devotees, most from the neighboring state of Andhra Pradesh, have been admitted to a nearby hospital by locals and police, and two of them are seriously injured, he said.

Local TV channels reported that the situation is now under control and cops have been called in to tackle the crowd.

A probe has been ordered into the incident, the police official said.

This is not the first stampede at the temple. In 2011, a stampede there killed 106 pilgrims and left 100 others injured. It began after a vehicle overturned on the last day of a yearly festival which had attracted devotees from all over the country. Endit