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At least 17 dead in stampede at Hindu festival event in India

Many more have been injured in a crush at an event in the Indian city of Kolkata to mark a Hindu festival.

At least 17 dead in stampede at Hindu festival event in India

At least 17 people have been killed and many more injured in a crush at an event in the Indian city of Kolkata to mark the Hindu festival of Durga Puja, officials say.

The incident happened during sudden rainfall, which witnesses said prompted a surge of people trying to find shelter.

West Bengal's Chief Minister Suvendhu Adhikari said a seven-year-old girl was among the dead, and that 25 people were being treated for injuries.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi described it as a "tragic" incident and said the regional government was helping affected families.

Adhikari said six of the dead had been identified.

A senior police official told the AFP news agency that an announcement caused "commotion" after it started raining and the crowd began "pushing, pulling and rushing forward and fell on the ground, leading to the stampede.".

Deadly crowd incidents, including during religious festivals, are not uncommon in India because of poor management and a lack of adequate safety precautions.

121 people were killed in Uttar Pradesh during a Hindu religious gathering.

deathsstampedeindiainjuriesfestivalkolkatadurga pujacrowd crush

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