Stampede at Syedna's funeral kills 18 in Mumbai

Thousands of people had come to pay homage to Dawoodi Bohra spiritual leader Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin

At least 18 people were killed and 40 injured in a stampede at the funeral of Dawoodi Bohra spiritual leader Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin, who died here on Friday morning. He was 102.

Officials said at least 17 bodies were taken to Saifee Hospital and one to Cumballa Hill Hospital. Of the 40 injured, 20 have been discharged.

Police said the incident occurred in the Malabar Hill area in south Mumbai, where thousands had gathered to pay their last respects to the departed spiritual leader. It added several people in the crowd fell over each other, and most of the deaths resulted from suffocation.

Revered as the 52nd Dai-al-Mutlaq by the Bohras, the Syedna had provided leadership to the largely business-oriented community. Born in Surat, he was the eldest son of Syedna Taher Saifuddin and was credited with transforming Dawoodi Bohras into a vibrant community.

The Syedna was honoured with many civilian titles such as the Star of Jordan and Order of the Nile by the governments of Jordan and Egypt, respectively. For his efforts to promote social development and education, he was conferred honorary doctorates by various institutes such as Al-Azhar University, Cairo; Aligarh Muslim University; and University of Karachi.

He had pioneered many initiatives such as the Saifee Hospital here and was also involved in the Saifee Burhani Upliftment project for the redevelopment of Bhendi Bazaar.

Dawoodi Bohra is a sect of Shia Muslims, spread across the world. One of the key principles of the sect is "patriotism as part of the faith".