NEW DELHI (Reuters) - At least 24 people died and dozens more were hurt in a stampede in the ancient northern Indian city of Varanasi on Saturday, officials said.

Panic spread as thousands of Hindu pilgrims tried to cross a bridge to a sacred site in one of the world’s oldest inhabited cities, at the heart of the home constituency of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“Rumors about the bridge collapse led to chaos after a man fell down in a crowd,” said police officer Javeed Ahmad.

The incident occurred when thousands of followers of deceased Godman Baba Jai Gurudev were on their way to Domri village in a remote corner of Varanasi district to take part in the two-day ritual at a camp on the Ganges, Varanasi district magistrate Vijay Kiron Anand told Reuters.

Millions of Hindus go to Varanasi every year to pray and wash away their sins by taking a dip in the sacred river Ganges.

Modi, who was hosting a meeting of BRICS nations in the state of Goa, expressed his condolences to the victims’ families and promised help.

Local police claimed that the stampede occurred because the number of devotees went far beyond their estimates.

“The organizers had sought permission for a gathering of just about 5,000 people, but when the crowds started pouring in, they went far beyond 70,000 to 80,000, thereby making it difficult for police on duty,” a local police official said.

Deadly stampedes are common at India’s big pilgrimages and religious festivals. In 2008, 145 people died when a panicking crowd pushed people over a ravine in north India. In 2013 a crowd rush at a railway station killed at least 36 Hindu pilgrims, attending a festival.

Last July, at least 27 were killed and dozens more injured in a stampede at a Hindu festival in south India and in August 10 more died in a similar incident in the eastern state of Jharkhand.

Ravindra Sharma, who was hurt in the stampede on Saturday, said his teenage daughter was missing and the authorities were unable to trace her.

“We came to seek the blessings of our God. Only God can help me find her,” he said.</s>LUCKNOW, India — At least 24 people were killed and 20 others were injured in a stampede that occurred Saturday as worshipers were crossing a crowded bridge to reach a Hindu religious ceremony in northern India, the police said.

The stampede took place on the outskirts of Varanasi, a city in Uttar Pradesh, a state known for its temples. Organizers were expecting 3,000 people at the ceremony, but more than 70,000 crowded into the ashram of a local Hindu leader on a bank of the Ganges River, a police officer, S. K. Bhagat, said.

“We were not prepared for such a large crowd,” said Raj Bahadur, a spokesman for the organizers.

The stampede happened as the police started turning people back from the overcrowded bridge, Mr. Bahadur said, according to the Press Trust of India news agency. That set off a rumor that the bridge had collapsed, and people started running for safety, he said.

Nineteen people were killed at the scene, and five others died at a hospital, said Daljit Chaudhary, another police officer. Four of the 20 injured people were still in serious condition, he said.</s>24 killed in stampede ahead of Hindu ceremony in India

LUCKNOW, India — At least 24 people were killed and 20 others injured in a stampede that occurred as they were crossing a crowded bridge to reach a Hindu religious ceremony in northern India on Saturday, police said.

The stampede took place on the outskirts of Varanasi, a city in Uttar Pradesh state known for its temples. Organizers were expecting 3,000 devotees at the ceremony, but more than 70,000 thronged the ashram of a local Hindu leader on the banks of the Ganges River, said police officer S.K. Bhagat.

“We were not prepared for such a large crowd,” Raj Bahadur, a spokesman for the organizers, told The Associated Press.

The stampede happened as police started turning back people from the overcrowded bridge, the Press Trust of India news agency cited Bahadur as saying. That triggered a rumor among the devotees that the bridge had collapsed, and they started running for safety, he said.

Nineteen people were killed on the spot and five others succumbed to their injuries at a hospital, said police officer Daljit Chaudhary. Four of the 20 injured people were still in serious condition at the hospital, he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was deeply saddened by the tragedy. “I have spoken to officials and asked them to ensure all possible help to those affected,” he tweeted.

Deadly stampedes are fairly common during Indian religious festivals, where large crowds gather in small areas with few safety or crowd control measures.

In October 2013, a stampede in Madhya Pradesh state in central India killed more than 110 people, mostly women and children.</s>LUCKNOW, India (AP) — At least 24 people were killed and 20 others injured in a stampede that occurred as they were crossing a crowded bridge to reach a Hindu religious ceremony in northern India today, police said.

The stampede took place on the outskirts of Varanasi, a city in Uttar Pradesh state known for its temples. Organizers were expecting 3,000 devotees at the ceremony, but more than 70,000 thronged the ashram of a local Hindu leader on the banks of the Ganges River, said police officer S.K. Bhagat.

"We were not prepared for such a large crowd," Raj Bahadur, a spokesman for the organizers, told The Associated Press.

The stampede happened as police started turning back people from the overcrowded bridge, the Press Trust of India news agency cited Bahadur as saying. That triggered a rumor among the devotees that the bridge had collapsed, and they started running for safety, he said.

Nineteen people were killed on the spot and five others succumbed to their injuries at a hospital, said police officer Daljit Chaudhary. Four of the 20 injured people were still in serious condition at the hospital, he said.</s>19 dead in stampede ahead of Hindu ceremony in India

LUCKNOW, India — Police say at least 19 people were killed and 25 others injured in a stampede as they were heading to a Hindu religious ceremony in northern India.

Police officer Daljit Singh says the stampede occurred Saturday on the outskirts of Varanasi, a city in Uttar Pradesh state known for its temples.

Deadly stampedes are fairly common during Indian religious festivals, where large crowds gather in small areas with few safety or crowd control measures.

In October 2013, a stampede in Madhya Pradesh state in central India killed more than 110 people, mostly women and children.dia.</s>Hindu pilgrims hold religious flags and walk on a crowded bridge after a stampede on the same bridge on the outskirts of Varanasi, India, Saturday, Oct. 15, 2016, that killed more than a dozen people.

LUCKNOW, India — At least 19 people were killed and 25 injured in a stampede that occurred Saturday as they were crossing a crowded bridge to reach the venue of a Hindu religious ceremony in northern India, police said.

The stampede happened on the outskirts of Varanasi, a city in Uttar Pradesh state known for its temples, said police officer Kumar Prashant.

S.K. Bhagat, another police officer, said that organizers were expecting 3,000 Hindu devotees at the ceremony, but that more than 70,000 thronged the ashram of a local Hindu religious leader, Jai Baba Gurudev, on the banks of the Ganges River.

"We were not prepared for such a large crowd," Raj Bahadur, a spokesman for the organizers, told The Associated Press.

The stampede occurred as police started turning back people from the overcrowded bridge, the Press Trust of India news agency cited Bahadur as saying. That triggered a rumor among the devotees that the bridge had collapsed, and they started running for safety, he said.

Prashant said 19 people were killed and 25 others were injured and hospitalized, including some in serious condition.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was deeply saddened by the tragedy. "I have spoken to officials and asked them to ensure all possible help to those affected," he tweeted.

Deadly stampedes are fairly common during Indian religious festivals, where large crowds gather in small areas with few safety or crowd control measures.

In October 2013, a stampede in Madhya Pradesh state in central India killed more than 110 people, mostly women and children.</s>LUCKNOW, India (AP) — At least 19 people were killed and 25 injured in a stampede that occurred as they were crossing a crowded bridge Saturday to reach the venue of a Hindu religious ceremony in northern India, police said.

The stampede happened on the outskirts of Varanasi, a city in Uttar Pradesh state known for its temples, said police officer Kumar Prashant.

S.K. Bhagat, another police officer, said that organizers were expecting 3,000 Hindu devotees at the ceremony, but that more than 70,000 thronged the ashram of a local Hindu religious leader, Jai Baba Gurudev, on the banks of the Ganges River.

Raj Bahadur, a spokesman for the organizers, said, “We were not prepared for such a large crowd.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was deeply saddened by the tragedy. “I have spoken to officials and asked them to ensure all possible help to those affected,” he tweeted.

Deadly stampedes are fairly common during Indian religious festivals, where large crowds gather in small areas with few safety or crowd control measures.

In October 2013, a stampede in Madhya Pradesh state in central India killed more than 110 people, mostly women and children.</s>The stampede occurred at a procession in honor of the Hindu guru, Jai Gurudev, according to a spokesman in the office of the director general of police in Uttar Pradesh.

CNN affiliate CNN-News 18 said the stampede occurred in the Ramnagar area of Varanasi, near the Rajghat bridge across the river Ganga, as the Ganges River is known in Hindi.

Rescuers took the injured to the hospital.

The commissioner of Varanasi, the top government official in the city, has opened an inquiry into what happened.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered his condolences and pledged financial aid to the injured and families of those killed. I have spoken to officials & asked them to ensure all possible help to those affected due to the stampede in Varanasi. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 15, 2016 Varanasi, in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, is the holiest of seven sacred Hindu sites in India, and said to be the founding place of Buddhism, making it a destination for thousands of pilgrims and tourists One of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Varanasi is regarded as the spiritual capital of India. The river Ganga flows through its heart.</s>The stampede occurred at a procession in honor of the Hindu guru, Jai Gurudev, according to Rahul Srivastav, a spokesman for the Uttar Pradesh police.

Rescue work is still underway, and people continue to be taken to the hospital for treatment.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered his condolences and pledged financial aid to the injured and families of those killed.

Varanasi, in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, is the holiest of seven sacred Hindu sites in India, and said to be the founding place of Buddhism, making it a destination for thousands of pilgrims and tourists

One of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, it is regarded as the spiritual capital of India. The river Ganga, as the Ganges River is known in Hindi, flows through its heart.</s>LUCKNOW, India (AP) — Police say at least 19 killed in stampede ahead of Hindu religious ceremony in northern India.
A stampede among Hindu pilgrims headed to Varanasi, India, kills at least 24 people and injures at least 20.