ISLAMABAD: In Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), at least 12 people were killed and 20 others injured in a stampede at Vaishno Devi shrine in Katra area of the Reasi district on Saturday.

According to reports, the police chief of IIOJK, Dilbagh Singh, has confirmed that the incident occurred around 2:45 am, and as per initial reports, an argument broke out which resulted in people pushing each other, followed by stampede. The Vaishno Devi shrine, a manifestation of Hindu goddess Vaishnavi, is in the hills some 60 kilometres from the city of Jammu.

According to reports quoting officials, when the disaster occurred, it was still dark on the route to the Vaishno Devi shrine, which is one of the most revered Hindu sites in India. Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, about 100,000 devotees go to the Vaishno Devi shrine daily.

Incidents of such stampedes had already been occurring in India. An incident occurred in 2008, in which over 370 Hindus were died. Another such incidents occurred in 2011 and 2013 in Kerala and Madhya Pradesh respectively, in which over 100 Hindu devotees were killed.