19 dead, 25 hurt in stampede at India religious gathering

At least 19 people were killed and two dozen more injured on Saturday in eastern India after a stampede that occurred during sudden rainfall at a Hindu religious gathering, officials and Indian media said.



West Bengal's Chief Minister Suvendhu Adhikari told reporters the fatalities included a seven-year-old girl, adding that 25 other people were injured outside a pavilion "in a stampede" at the Hindu festival of Durga Puja in the city of Kolkata.



The incident occurred at the exit gate in Kolkata's Girish Park area after heavy rain led to overcrowding as large numbers of devotees attempted to leave the venue.