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14 January 2011
Last updated at 14:41 ET
At least 64 pilgrims have been killed in a stampede at a religious festival in the southern Indian state of Kerala, officials say.
Scores more have been injured in the crush, which was reportedly triggered by a road accident.
The pilgrims were returning from the Hindu shrine of Sabarimala, which is in a remote, mountainous, densely-forested area.
State officials said the death toll could rise.
"Sixty-four bodies have been recovered from the accident site. Seventy-five persons have been hospitalised with injuries. Most of them are in three hospitals," Kerala Home Minister Kodiuyeri Balakrishnan told AFP news agency.
The stampede happened at Pulmedu, near the town of Vandiperiyar in Idukki district, Indian media reported.
Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims had gathered at the hill shrine on Friday, the last day of an annual festival.
Reports differed as to exactly how the deadly crush was triggered.
The Indian PTI news agency said a jeep carrying pilgrims had driven into a crowd returning from the shrine, starting a panic.
However, the Times of India reported that the incident happened when the jeep broke down and overturned as pilgrims tried to move it.
It crushed a number of people and caused others to stumble, which then triggered the stampede, the report said.
Correspondents say deadly stampedes are not unusual at Indian temples, where huge crowds gather in small areas with few safety measures or crowd controls.
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Scores more have been injured in the crush, which was reportedly triggered by a road accident.
The pilgrims were returning from the Hindu shrine of Sabarimala, which is in a remote, mountainous, densely-forested area.
State officials said the death toll could rise.
"Sixty-four bodies have been recovered from the accident site. Seventy-five persons have been hospitalised with injuries. Most of them are in three hospitals," Kerala Home Minister Kodiuyeri Balakrishnan told AFP news agency.
The stampede happened at Pulmedu, near the town of Vandiperiyar in Idukki district, Indian media reported.
Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims had gathered at the hill shrine on Friday, the last day of an annual festival.
Reports differed as to exactly how the deadly crush was triggered.
The Indian PTI news agency said a jeep carrying pilgrims had driven into a crowd returning from the shrine, starting a panic.
However, the Times of India reported that the incident happened when the jeep broke down and overturned as pilgrims tried to move it.
It crushed a number of people and caused others to stumble, which then triggered the stampede, the report said.
Correspondents say deadly stampedes are not unusual at Indian temples, where huge crowds gather in small areas with few safety measures or crowd controls.
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