A stampede by masses of Hindu worshippers crossing a bridge to a temple in central India left at least 91 people dead Sunday, police said.

本周日在印度首都一座神庙附近，印度教信徒在渡河过桥时发生踩踏事件。据警方报道，事件至少造成91人死亡。

The chaos broke out as rumors spread that the bridge was collapsing over the Sindh River, D.K. Arya, deputy inspector general of police in the Chambal region of Madhya Pradesh state, told the Press Trust of India.

中央邦昌巴尔地区的副监察官D.K. Arya告诉印度新闻信托社记者，事件发生时许多人在信德省河面上的大桥上，有人故意散布“大桥快要断了”的谣言，引起了群众混乱。

Among the 91 people killed by the crush were 17 children and 31 women, he said. Hours later, relatives were searching for missing loved ones among the bodies that were lying grouped together on the bridge.

据D.K. Arya称，在事件中丧生的91人中有17名儿童和31名妇女。数小时之后，人们将逝世者尸体逐一拜访在桥面上，有失踪者亲属前来认领。

More than 100 people were being treated in a hospital for injuries including broken bones.

超过100名伤者被送往医院救治，其中包括骨折的重伤病人。

Police wielding sticks had charged the crowd in an effort to contain the rush, Arya said. People retaliated by hurling stones at officers, and one officer was badly injured.

Aryan说，当时有持警棍的警察喝令群众，企图遏制恐慌的人群。作为回应有人向警察抛掷石头，一名警员受了重伤。

It was not immediately clear how many people were on the bridge when the stampede started. Local media said some 500,000 people had gone to the remote Ratangarh village temple in the Madhya Pradesh district of Datia to honor the Hindu mother goddess Durga on the last day of the popular 10-day Navaratra festival.

目前还无法查明事件发生时桥面上人群的确切人数。当地媒体称，时值当地九夜节庆典的，大约有50万人已经转而去了相对偏远的、达蒂亚中央邦的拉坦加村神庙来祭拜印度教杜尔加女神。

The state has ordered a judicial inquiry into the incident.

当地政府已经开始对事件进行司法调查。

Sonia Gandhi, the leader of India's ruling Congress Party, expressed "shock and deep anguish over the tragic incident," according to a party statement.

印度执政党国会索尼娅·甘地在党务会议发言中表示，对此次悲剧事件她感到“震惊和沉痛哀悼”。