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Temple stampede kills 16
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SIXTEEN people were trampled to death as tens of thousands of worshippers tried to pack into a Taoist temple fair in northern China's Shaanxi Province, State media said yesterday.
Six others were seriously injured in the accident on Sunday morning as worshippers tried to get through a tunnel leading to the Yuquan Temple near Shaanxi's Huayin City.
Huayin City had sent about 50 police to the area to control crowds, but they failed to control the rush of worshippers who annually come to the fair, according to the media reports.
The injured were undergoing emergency treatment in local hospitals as provincial authorities launched investigations into the tragedy.
The temple lies in a valley running to the Hua Mountain scenic area, a traditional centre of Taoist learning that lies near the Yellow River border with neighbouring Shanxi and Henan provinces.
The area is collectively known as the “cradle of Chinese civilization".(SD-Agencies)
Captions:
1. The injured worshippers are taken downstairs in stretchers.
2. Family members of the dead and injured worshippers wait anxiously for news of their loved ones.
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