VOA标准英语2008年-Up to 150 Hindu Pilgrims Die in Temple Stampede

Up to 150 Hindu pilgrims attending an annual festival have been killed in a stampede in Northern India. As Anjana Pasricha reports from New Delhi, many of the victims are women and children.
　
Bodies of devotees are seen in Bilaspur district of Himachal Pradesh, India, Sunday, 03 Aug 2008

Officials say the tragedy occurred when a metal railing along a narrow mountain path leading to Naina Devi temple in Himahcal Pradesh state collapsed² under the weight of tens of thousands of devotees who had come to attend a religious festival on Sunday.

The temple is situated³ on a hilltop in the state's Bilaspur district.

Officials say the collapse¹ of the railing triggered panic among pilgrims, and a stampede ensued as people tried to flee to safety. There are many women and children among the victims, who fell down and were trampled⁴.

A senior police official in Bilaspur, Bimal Gupta, says bad weather worsened the situation.

"At the same time there was heavy rain. People wanted to save themselves," Gupta said. "In the midst you know the stampede occurred. But the administration, the local police and Home Guards, they immediately started the rescue work within 15 minutes."

Police used a cable car to ferry down the dead and wounded from the hilltop. Helicopters aided the rescue efforts. Scores of injured people have been rushed to hospitals. As news of the stampede spread, relatives flocked in to identify the victims.

The temple was packed at the time of the tragedy . It was the second day of the nine-day long festival called Shavran Navratras, where tens of thousands gather every year to pray to a Hindu goddess. Many of the worshippers were from the neighboring state of Punjab.

Stampedes at religious festivals have occurred previously⁵ in India, where massive crowds gather on such occasions - sometimes in remote towns where the local administration is not equipped to handle large crowds. In 2005, more than 250 pilgrims were killed in a stampede near a temple in Western India.

 

1 collapse   

vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。

2 collapsed   

adj.倒塌的

参考例句：

• Jack collapsed in agony on the floor. 杰克十分痛苦地瘫倒在地板上。
• The roof collapsed under the weight of snow. 房顶在雪的重压下突然坍塌下来。

3 situated   

adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的

参考例句：

• The village is situated at the margin of a forest.村子位于森林的边缘。
• She is awkwardly situated.她的处境困难。

4 trampled   

踩( trample的过去式和过去分词 )； 践踏； 无视； 侵犯

参考例句：

• He gripped his brother's arm lest he be trampled by the mob. 他紧抓着他兄弟的胳膊，怕他让暴民踩着。
• People were trampled underfoot in the rush for the exit. 有人在拼命涌向出口时被踩在脚下。

5 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。