650 Die in Iraq Stampede Spurned by Rumors

This is tragic:

BAGHDAD (AP) — Panic engulfed thousands of Shiites marching across a bridge in a religious procession Wednesday after rumors spread that a suicide bomber was about to attack, triggering a stampede that killed 648 people.

Scores jumped or were pushed to their deaths into the muddy Tigris River about 30 feet below, while others were crushed in the crowd. Most of the dead were women and children, Interior Ministry spokesman Lt. Col. Adnan Abdul-Rahman said.

The pushing was so forceful, that literally hundreds of pairs of shoes were removed and strewn about in all the commotion (as seen above).