Stampede kills at least 10 in eastern India

NEW DELHI, India (CNN) -- At least 10 people were killed in a stampede during a Hindu ritual in eastern India Monday, police said.

The crush occurred on a bridge along the banks of the river Ganges in Patna, capital of Bihar state, according to authorities.

The site was packed by hundreds of thousands of devotees celebrating the annual festival of Chhath, Patna's police chief Jayant Kant told CNN.

Sparks from power cables because of an electric short circuit triggered panic that Kant explained led to the stampede.

Some eight people were also injured, he said.

Worshipers during Chhath, one of the biggest festivals of eastern India, gather along river banks to offer prayers to the sun.