New Delhi: At least 116 people were killed Tuesday in a stampede at a satsang (religious congregation) in Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras, with various reports stating that the number of attendees exceeded the permitted limit at the venue.
Several hundreds of devotees had gathered at Fulrai village to attend the satsang, hosted by self-styled preacher Narayan Sakar Hari aka Bhole Baba, which was going on for the past two days.
Aligarh commissioner Chaitra V. confirmed the toll had reached to 116. While it is not clear about what triggered the stampede, there are reports that many attendees felt suffocated due to the teeming crowd at the closing ceremony and lost consciousness.
The injured as well as bodies of the victims were taken to hospitals at Aligarh, Hathras, Kasganj among others. The Hathras Police issued two helplines — 9259189726 and 9084382490 — for the general public to seek information related to the stampede.
Dimpi Shukla, a witness from Etah, told ThePrint over phone that there was hardly any management at the event.
Shukla claimed that there was a stampede among the people while trying to touch Baba ji’s feet.
“Most of the deceased are women. There are piles of bodies. People were running to touch Baba ji’s feet,” she recalled. “There was a large crowd at the event, and there was hardly any management from the administration.”
Earlier in the evening, Etah district magistrate Prem Ranjan Singh told ThePrint over the phone that the local hospital has received 27 bodies, including 23 of women and two of children.
He stated that the bodies have been sent to the district hospital for post-mortem, after which the last rites would take place.
Both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath have condoled the loss of lives.
The Uttar Pradesh CM said probe would look into whether the stampede was an accident or a conspiracy. “The Hathras incident is heart-wrenching; a committee has been formed for investigation. Relief and rescue work are being conducted on a war footing,” he said in a statement.
He also announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh ex gratia for the families of the dead and Rs 50,000 each for the injured.
Modi informed on social media platform ‘X’ that he spoke to the CM and added that the UP government was actively engaged in providing all possible assistance to the victims.
My thoughts are with those bereaved in Hathras. Prayers with the injured. The UP Government is working to assist those affected. pic.twitter.com/hAhD5xFD1M
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 2, 2024
The PM also announced ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh each to the families of each deceased. The injured will receive 50,000 rupees each.
Samajwadi Party chief and former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav expressed shock at the deaths in large numbers. He demanded immediate and adequate medical facilities for the injured.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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