NEW DELHI — Police say a stampede by hundreds of Hindu worshippers crossing a bridge to a temple in central India has left dozens of people dead and more than 100 injured.

The deputy inspector general of police in the Chambal region of Madhya Pradesh state says the chaos broke out Sunday as people mistakenly believed the bridge was collapsing over the Sindh River.

The official, D.K. Arya, says police carrying batons charged the crowd in an effort to contain the panic. People retaliated by hurling stones at officers, and one officer was badly injured.

He told the Press Trust of India that about 50 people were feared dead, though the exact number of casualties was still being confirmed.