Stampede at flood relief camp kills 43 in South India

Chennai, India: Forty-three homeless people were trampled to death on Sunday and 42 were injured in a stampede during the distribution of flood relief supplies at a shelter in southern India, officials said.

The early morning incident occurred in Chennai, formerly known as Madras, when thousands of people had lined up for the relief supplies.

Television channels showed chaotic scenes outside the relief centre with many women wailing as bodies were ferried in police vans and ambulances.

Most of the victims were women and the death toll was likely to go up, police said.

The injured have been taken to hospitals in the city.

Aaj Tak channel said the stampede occurred when it started to rain during the distribution of coupons, which recipients exchange to receive food packets.

At least 430 people have been killed in Tamil Nadu state and half a million left homeless by storms that have pounded the state since late October.

The government has opened around 150 relief centres to distribute food to people.

This was the second incident of its kind in Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu state, in the past two months.

In November, six people were killed and 20 injured in another stampede near a relief camp in a northern district of Chennai.