NEW DELHI, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- At least three were killed, including a child, and some 14 others injured in a stampede Monday evening at a festival congregation in India's eastern state of Bihar, said local police.
The incident occurred in the Gopalganj district of Bihar where hundreds of people had gathered to offer prayers at the "Durga Puja" festival.
The injured were sent to a local hospital. The identity of the three dead has not been confirmed.
"A small child had fallen inside the premises where the festival was being celebrated. He sustained injuries. When people tried to rush the injured child to a hospital, suddenly a stampede occurred, and two women and a child died after people ran over them," said the police.
He added that the venue of the festival was much overcrowded at the time of the mishap.
Monday was the fourth day of the five-day-long Durga Puja festival, one of the most popular festivals in India, and is celebrated across the country on a large scale every year. ■