12 killed in crowd surge at Hindu shrine in Kashmir

Health workers carry the coffin of a victim of a deadly stampede at the Mata Vaishnav Devi shrine in Katra, India (Channi Anand/AP)

A crowd surge at a popular Hindu shrine in Indian-controlled Kashmir on New Year’s Day killed at least 12 people and injured 15 others, officials said.

Initial reports suggested an altercation between a group of devotees led to the stampede at the Mata Vaishnav Devi shrine, where tens of thousands of Hindus had gathered to pay respects in the hilly town of Katra, near southern Jammu city.