DHAKA: At least 11 people have been killed and 20 others injured in Jharkhand's Deoghar town in a stampede close to a temple of Goddess Durga.

Thousands of devotees flock to the temple in the month of August each year to offer the holy water of the river Ganga to Lord Shiva at the town's famous Baidyanath temple, NDTV reported.

According to the district administration, the stampede occurred at 5 am when people were trying to jump queue in order to get closer to the temple.

The injured are being treated at local hospital.

The town sees the maximum crowd on Monday; last week around a lakh people had converged at the temple. The district administration had held a review meeting of arrangements on Sunday to monitor the situation.

The town has witnessed stampedes in the past as well. In August 2007, at least five women were killed and 11 injured in a stampede at the Baba Baidyanath temple.

BDST: 0833 HRS, AUG 10, 2015
RS