At least five women devotees were killed in a stampede early Friday at the Dera Sacha Sauda sect headquarters near this Haryana town, police said.

Officials said the stampede took place after 2 a.m. when a congregation ended and gifts were being distributed to devotees of sect chief Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh. Sirsa is around 300 km from Chandigarh. Several people were injured.