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18 Trampled to Death in Stampede After Bridge Collapses During Hindu Prayer Festival

Nov. 20, 2012 12:32pm Billy Hallowell

PATNA, India (TheBlaze/AP) — A power outage panicked crowds offering prayers on the Ganges River during a religious festival, sparking a stampede that killed nine children and eight other people, police in eastern India said Tuesday.

The horrific incident occurred when hundreds of Hindu worshippers gathered late Monday along the riverbank in Patna, Bihar state, to pray to the sun god during the Chhath festival, according to police Superintendent Jayant Kant.

18 Killed During Stampede at Indias Chhath Festival

An unidentified Indian relative cries as he carries a body of a young boy who died in a stampede during Chhath Puja celebrations in Patna, India, Monday, Nov. 19, 2012. A top Indian police official says 14 people have been killed in a stampede during a religious festival in the eastern state of Bihar. (AP Photo/Aftab Alam Siddiqui)

People who had filled a makeshift bamboo walkway leading into the Ganges trampled one another as they fought to get to shore, he said. About 20 people were rushed to the hospital and about six were in critical condition, he said. World News Australia has more:

India has launched an inquiry into a stampede that killed 18 women and children when a makeshift bridge collapsed at a Hindu festival, as devotees returned to pray at the scene of the tragedy.

The incident in the eastern city of Patna, near the holy Ganges river, occurred late on Monday…

Despite the disaster, thousands of worshippers returned to the site before sunrise on Tuesday to pray as part of the festival schedule, offering fruits to the gods, lighting candles and bathing in the sacred water.

Relatives of victims gathered at a mass cremation on the riverbank, with many survivors saying poor organisation of the event caused the stampede.

Deadly stampedes are fairly common during India’s often-chaotic religious festivals, which regularly include tens of thousands of worshippers. Nine people were killed in a September stampede during another festival in eastern India.

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Comments (17)

Proverbs17-12NLT
Posted on November 20, 2012 at 8:27pm
Looks like they need some obama shovel ready jobs. Bridges, roads and schools.

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charles116
Posted on November 20, 2012 at 5:25pm
When asked his opinion of Child brides, Jerry Lee Lewis said: “What’s a child bride?”

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blaaaaackwoman
Posted on November 20, 2012 at 3:22pm
To put this in perspective;

In India bride burning is linked to the custom of dowry, the money, goods, or estate that a woman brings to her husband in marriage. Thousands of young married women in India are routinely tortured and murdered by husband and in-laws who want more dowry from the bride’s parents. After burning the bride to death, the husband is free to remarry and get new dowry again from new bride. In India, in every one hour and 40 minutes a woman is killed by husband or in-laws who are consumed by greed. More than 5000 women get killed for dowry each year. (That’s about 14 women burned to death EVERY DAY by Indian male pigs) Oink oink oink you filthy Indian pigs!

http://freethoughtblogs.com/taslima/2012/06/05/bride-burning/

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- Sol Invictus
  Posted on November 20, 2012 at 3:43pm
  Trooooooooooooll.
  
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- charles116
  Posted on November 20, 2012 at 5:23pm
  Not these days hon.
  
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starman70
Posted on November 20, 2012 at 3:09pm
So what else is new? Things like this happen almost every year in India. When people stake their lives of hastioy constructed bamboo structures, what else could you expect?

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Anonymous T. Irrelevant
Posted on November 20, 2012 at 1:38pm
“Deadly stampedes are fairly common during India’s often-chaotic religious festivals, which regularly include tens of thousands of worshippers”
===================================
Stay on the outside fringes of the crowd, if it’s that common.

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- MMSands
  Posted on November 20, 2012 at 5:26pm
  Generally a good idea when part of any large gathering.
  
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Brasil2520
Posted on November 20, 2012 at 1:24pm
What is 18 trampled to death in India called – Tuesday !

Now sports with Leroy – “Today in the NBA”

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jackact
Posted on November 20, 2012 at 12:59pm
At least India has a productive and EMPLOYED middle class to fund the building of a new bridge.
We don’t.
Not anymore.

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- Cavallo
  Posted on November 20, 2012 at 1:12pm
  Not only does India have a larger middle class than the United States, they also have more English speaking citizens than the United States. Now if they can get rid of some of the culturally back bureaucracy, and fix some of their sanitation issues, they’re going to be a real contender on the world stage economically.
  
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P8riot
Posted on November 20, 2012 at 12:54pm
People who are willing to step on little children to save themselves are evil.

The only thing worse than this is when this happens in America on Black Friday to get a discount on a TV.

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OniKaze
Posted on November 20, 2012 at 12:49pm
Shame, you go to celebrate, and leave in mourning… Mass gatherings are ALWAYS dangerous, no matter where you are in the world, when masses gather, LEAVE…

No celebration is worth dying for…

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codetalker
Posted on November 20, 2012 at 12:43pm
Moooooooooooooo Moooooooooooooooo snort Rollin’ Rollin’ Rollin’
Keep those doggies rollin’
Rollin’ Rollin’ Rollin’

So head ‘em up, head ‘em out,
Head ‘em up, move ‘em out,
Head ‘em up, head ‘em out Rawhide

Ride ‘em in, let ‘em out,
Ride ‘em in, cut ‘em out,
Ride ‘em in Rawhide!

C’mon, step here

Movin’, movin’, movin’
Keep those doggies movin’
Movin’, movin’….
Hmmmmmm

Don’t try to understand ‘em
Just rope, spur, and brand ‘em
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- HPC172ERTAV
  Posted on November 20, 2012 at 1:04pm
  that’s rope, HOG TIE, and brand them
AmericanStrega
Posted on November 20, 2012 at 12:35pm
Sun God?

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- biohazard23
  Posted on November 20, 2012 at 1:12pm
  Yeah, code name for Dear Leader.
  
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