Panic struck in Balasore, a coastal town in the eastern Indian state of Orissa, Monday after reports that a deadly stampede took place in its famous Aardi temple.

However, police later denied that several were killed in the stampede and said only 40 to 50 people were injured.

"We got a phone call from someone in the temple saying that a stampede took place and several are feared dead," A.K. Dass, a senior police officer in the state, told the media.

"Police immediately rushed to the spot with a medical team. What we found is that there was only a small stampede in which some 40 to 50 people only sustained minor injuries. Immediately they were rushed to the local hospital," he said.

The injured are undergoing treatment in the Balasore hospital and all are said to be out of danger, he said.

Balasore is famous for its Aardi temple where hundreds of devotees visit every day from all over the state.

(Xinhua News Agency April 13, 2009)