Another 20 people were injured in the tragedy that unfolded during a religious festival at the Ashik Dham temple in Lakhisarai in Bihar state on Monday.
The panic began with a rumour that a power line or pole had fallen on people, according to a state official. As crowds tried to get out of the temple grounds, part of the building collapsed, trapping people on top of each other. The injured are now being treated in hospitals.
The stampede occurred just hours after a hotel where several of the religious pilgrims were staying was gutted by fire, AP reports. At least seven more people are said to have been killed in the fire.
