12 die in stampede near temple in India

At least 12 Hindu devotees were trampled to death on a narrow path crowded by thousands heading to a temple in western India on Sunday, police said. Another eight people were injured.

The stampede occurred during a religious festival at the temple of the Hindu goddess Mahakali in Panchmahal district, some 90 miles south of Ahmadabad, the key city of western Gujarat state, said Dipandar Trivedi, the senior superintendent of police.

Devotees have to walk about a half a mile to reach the hilltop temple, which is devoted to a goddess considered a fierce warrior who destroys evils and enemies.

Hindus across India are celebrating the Navratri Festival, which coincides with the end of the monsoon season. The festival is considered auspicious because it is associated with farmers sowing seeds — a time of prosperity and abundance.