Six pilgrims died in Mauritius on Sunday during a religious ceremony commemorating a Hindu festival, as confirmed by the police. The fire broke out when electric wires came into contact with a wooden and bamboo cart carrying effigies of Hindu deities, police commissioner Anil Kumar Dip was quoted by news agency AFP as saying while speaking on national television.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday said he was "saddened" to hear of the fire during Mahashivratri celebrations in Mauritius, which killed six pilgrims. In a post on X, Jaishankar extended his condolences to the families of the victims who died in the tragedy. The pilgrims were travelling on foot to the Grand Bassin Lake, which is deemed sacred by the East African island nation's Hindu community, ahead of the Shivaratri festival on March 8, AFP reported.