The death toll from a massive stampede at a Hindu temple in India has risen to at least 113, with scores more injured in the western state of Rajasthan.
Officials say more than 25,000 worshippers had gathered at the Chamunda Devi temple in Jodhpur at the start of Navarati, a major Hindu festival.
"The stampede began when people lost their footing and set off a chain reaction," Rajasthan's Home Secretary SN Thanvi told AFP.
"We have 113 bodies in two government hospitals in Jodhpur," said Kiran Soni Gupta, a senior civil servant in the historic city."
Officials say the stampede appeared to have started when a wall along the narrow path leading up to the temple collapsed, killing several people and then sparking widespread panic.
"I was to join my friend this morning to offer prayers but I was a little late," recalled a dazed-looking Jodhpur university student who gave his name as Manish.
"When I arrived, I saw chaos, people rushing around the place. I looked for my friend and after a while found him. He was unconscious but without serious injuries," Manish said.
It's the fourth such incident in India this year.
