Manila, Philippines - A 45-year-old man was crushed to death Monday when about a half-million barefoot devotees jostled with each other during an annual procession to honour a centuries-old statue of a suffering Jesus Christ in this Philippine capital.
At least 20 other people were injured as the huge crowd became uncontrollable when the statue of the Black Nazarene was brought out of the Quiapo Church in downtown Manila for the procession, police said.
Among the crowd were top government officials, such as Vice President Noli de Castro, a longtime devotee.
Chief Superintendent Pedro Bulaong, Manila police district director, said the identity of the man who died was not yet known.
"The man was apparently crushed as the crowd surged forward when the Black Nazarene was brought out," he said. "Other devotees fainted or suffered some bruises as they pushed their way nearer the statue amid the throng of people."
Bulaong said the number of devotees grew to at least 500,000 at the height of the procession.
The life-size statue of the Black Nazarene was said to have been brought to the country by a Spanish priest in 1606.
The Feast of the Black Nazarene is one of the most celebrated religious events in the predominantly Catholic Philippines, where more than 80 percent of the estimated 84 million population adhere to the religion.