Panaji, May 3 || At least six people were killed and more than 30 injured after a stampede took place during the Lairai Devi temple in Shirgao village of Goa.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Saturday.
Preliminary reports suggest the overcrowding and lack of proper arrangements as possible causes behind the incident.
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Saturday visited the hospital to check on the injured persons.
According to the eyewitnesses, the situation escalated after a part of the crowd lost control. Locals and the volunteers at the temple rushed to pull people to safety.
The stampede took place as thousands of devotees thronged the temple to witness and participate in the centuries-old ritual at the temple, where barefoot 'dhonds' walk across a bed of burning embers.
The Shri Lairai Yatra is held in North Goa every year, attracting more than 50,000 devotees.
The stampede occurred when, at one point along the route, due to a downward slope, the crowd began moving rapidly all at once.
According to reports, the injured were shifted to nearby hospitals.
North Goa Superintendent of Police Akshat Kaushal said, "Six dead and more than 15 injured in a stampede that occurred at the Lairai Devi temple in Shrigao."
The stampede took place amid Shree Devi Lairai jatra, which commenced on Friday, with thousands of devotees flocking there.