Six people were crushed until death in a Hindu temple in the coastal state of Goa in India, authorities said on Saturday, after Miles gathered for a popular fire walking ritual.
Goa’s prime minister, Pramod Sawant, said in a statement that he was “deeply sad for the tragic stampede” in the Lairai Devi temple in the town of Shirgao in the early hours of Saturday morning.
“Six people died even before they could be taken to the hospital,” Sawant told reporters.
He visited the hospital and said that “any possible support” would be given to the families of those killed or injured.
Vishwajit Rane, Minister of Health of the State of Goa, said that “approximately 80” people were injured. “Five are critical and are in support of the fan, while the remaining ones are being treated in the emergency room specially created,” he said.
The office of Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed “condolences to those who lost their loved ones.”
The Lairai Zatra is a key Hindu celebration in Goa and is marked by a walking ceremony.
Mortal prints are notoriously common at Indian religious festivals.
Earlier this year, at least 30 people were killed in an early crushing in the morning in Kumbh Mela, a mega Hindu festival in the northern city of Prayagraj.
