145 killed in temple stamped

A stampede at a mountaintop Hindu temple in northern India killed at least 145 people Sunday, officials said.

Witnesses and authorities had varying accounts of what caused the morning stampede at the Naina Devi Temple in Himachal Pradesh state.

Deputy Police Commissioner C.P. Verma said the stampede, which began about 10 a.m., was caused by rumors of fighting near the temple.

The rumors led to "a rush of the public in a very small place," he said.

But witnesses said the initial stampede was caused by a railing in the temple that appeared to break, causing panicked worshippers to flee.

The stampede was exacerbated by police who hit the fleeing worshippers with canes to keep them moving, witnesses said.