12 killed in stampede at Indian shrine
![<i>NNIS/AFP/Getty Images</i><br/>A stampede at one of India's holiest shrines left at least 12 people dead on New Year's Day](https://kvia.b-cdn.net/2022/01/hypatia-h_75a93fbe2de894b022ad3648301cd75a-h_da4abaccb61b2acc27d220e0d4726dbc-300-scaled.jpg)
A stampede at one of India's holiest shrines left at least 12 people dead on New Year's Day
By Angus Watson, CNN
A stampede at one of India’s holiest shrines left at least 12 people dead on New Year’s Day, a local official said.
Thousands of devotees were at the Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine in Jammu, northern India when the stampede happened around 2:30 a.m. local time Saturday.
Another 16 people were injured and have been hospitalized, said Deputy Commissioner of Reasi Charandeep Singh.
The cause of the stampede has not yet been established. A high level inquiry has been ordered by Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Manoj Sinha.
Tens of thousands of Indians visit the shrine on a daily basis.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was “extremely saddened by the loss of lives due to a stampede at Mata Vaishno Devi Bhawan. Condolences to the bereaved families. May the injured recover soon.”
The-CNN-Wire
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