India, June 19 -- Two pilgrims were killed and four others injured after boulders fell on devotees climbing the stairway to the Kalika Mata Temple atop Pavagadh hill in Gujarat's Panchmahal district early on Friday, police said.

The victims were struck by falling rocks between 5am and 6am near Patiya Bridge (Patiyapul) as they were making their way to the hilltop shrine. Officials said two bodies were recovered from the debris, while the injured were shifted to a hospital in Halol for treatment. The deceased were residents of Kheda district.

Police suspect continuous heavy rainfall in the region over the past few days caused soil erosion, dislodging large rocks that crashed onto the pilgrimage route.

The Kalika Mata Temple, one of the ...