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63 lives were lost in Uttar Pradesh on March 4, 2010 in a stampede. Reasons why the calamity occurred are still not clear. India has, in the past, seen a number of stampedes in which hundreds have died. We take a look at the worst of the lot.
Over 800 people were killed and 100 injured in a stampede at the Mahakumbh Mela in 1954.
Considering that it was the first Kumbh Mela after the Independence, many leading politicians had visited the city during the event, which goes for over 40 days. What compounded the failure of crowd control measures, over 5 millions pilgrims visit Allahabad during the festival, was not just the presence of large number of politicians.
The fact that the Ganga river had changed course and moved in closer to the Bund (embankment) and the city, further reduced the available space of the temporary Kumbh township and movement of the people.
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At least 350 people were killed and over 200 injured in a stampede at a religious fair in Wai in Satara district of western Maharashtra on January 26, 2005.
The stampede occurred during the annual Mandra Devi Yatra at the Mandra Devi temple, located on a hill in Wai, sources said.
According to preliminary reports, a short circuit led to the stampede.
A narrow path that leads to the temple was packed with devotees, around 200,000 according to some estimates, trying to escape the fire and the melee, making it difficult for rescue teams to reach the spot.
Over 200 people were crushed to death and over 100 injured in a stampede early morning on September 30, 2008 caused by a rush of devotees in the Chamunda Devi temple in the 15th century Mehrangarh Fort on a hillock in Jodhpur on the first day of Navratri festival.
In a virtual repeat of the Naina Devi temple stampede in Himachal Pradesh, 147 devotees, mostly men, died when they were trampled upon by other pilgrims as doors of the temple opened for worship at dawn.
Some pilgrims blamed the local administration for the incident, saying proper arrangements should have been made well in advance as everyone knew that the temple draws huge crowd on such occasions.
Over 160 people were killed and several injured in a stampede at the Naina Devi temple in Himachal Pradesh on August 3, 2008.
The tragedy took place when people gathered at one place in the temple following rumours of landslide and rolling down of stones from a nearby hilltop.
A large number of pilgrims had gathered to offer prayers on the occasion of 'Navratra' at the temple where a railing on the way to it collapsed due to heavy rush, resulting in the stampede, official sources said.
A large number of the devotees were from Himachal Pradesh and neighbouring Punjab.
The Naina Devi temple is one of the most visited temples of Devbhumi, which is thronged by lakhs of devotees. The temple is located at the height of 7,000 feet.