India, July 28 -- At least eight people, including a 12-year-old boy, were killed and 30 others injured in a stampede on a narrow stairway leading to a temple in Haridwar on Sunday morning, officials aware of the matter said.

According to officials, the incident took place at around 9am after a rumour spread that a high-voltage live wire had fallen on the passage leading to the Mansa Devi temple, one of Uttarakhand's busiest pilgrimage sites, triggering panic among a large crowd of devotees.

"Six people have been confirmed dead. According to eyewitnesses, someone spread a rumour that a live wire had fallen on the path to the temple, which triggered panic among the devotees," Haridwar district magistrate Mayur Dixit said earlier in the d...