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Stampede kills 100 in southern India

By the CNN Wire Staff
Hindu devotees pray at the Sabarimala temple during the Maravilakku festival in Kerala.
Hindu devotees pray at the Sabarimala temple during the Maravilakku festival in Kerala.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • NEW: Video footage shows stampede aftermath
  • Vehicle incident prompts stampede in southern India
  • Pilgrims had attended religious event

(CNN) -- A stampede near a religious temple killed 100 people in southern India, authorities said.

Pilgrims were returning from a Hindu ritual at a temple when a vehicle overturned, prompting the stampede, said Jai Kumar, home secretary of Kerala state. At least 14 people were injured.

Video footage showed authorities loading up bodies in large pickup trucks. Onlookers gathered around, looking at the pile of bodies as some took pictures and sobbed.

The incident occurred about 5 miles from the Sabarimala Temple, Kumar said.

The vehicle struck many of the people in a narrow stretch through a forest, the news agency Press Trust of India reported.

Stampedes at events in India have occurred several times because large crowds gather at narrow, congested areas.

Last March, more than 60 people were killed during a stampede at a temple in the Uttar Pradesh state.

CNN's Sumnima Udas contributed to this report.