Six killed, several injured in stampede at temple in India's Haridwar

The stampede has occurred amid a surge of devotees visiting the temple for prayers and offerings during during the Hindu holy month of Sawan

At least six people have been killed and several others injured in a stampede at a temple in the Indian city of Haridwar.

The incident took place on the stairway leading to the Mansa Devi temple on Sunday, Indian broadcaster NDTV reports.

The stampede occurred amid a surge of devotees visiting the temple for prayers and offerings during the Hindu holy month of Sawan.

Garhwal Division Commissioner Vinay Shankar Pandey confirmed the death toll to news agency ANI. He said that the temple was extremely crowded at the time and added that he was en route to the site to oversee the situation firsthand.

Mansa Devi is one of the most visited shrines in Haridwar, which sees a massive influx of pilgrims during Sawan.

Visuals showed injured devotees being transported to local hospitals by ambulance. Many were seen receiving emergency medical attention on-site.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed his sorrow over the incident.

Rescue operations are ongoing, he said.