New Delhi.-At least 87 people were crushed to death by mobs during a Hindu religious rally in northern India, NDTV reported on Tuesday.
“A religious function was being held in Mughalgarhi village of Hathras district when the stampede took place. So far, 27 bodies have been received at Etah Hospital, of which 23 are women,” district Superintendent of Police Rajesh Kumar told reporters today.
Hospital director Umesh Kumar Tripathi added that they had received “many injured” from the incident, which authorities said was already under investigation.
More than 150 people were hospitalized following the crash in a village in Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras district, the medical officer said. He added that the death toll might rise.
The stampede occurred as attendees were rushing to leave an event featuring religious leader Bhole Baba, local media reported. The event was a religious ceremony known as “satsang,” according to Tripathi, usually organized by a guru for collective prayer.
Police told the Press Trust of India news agency that the stampede was due to overcrowding, but did not specify how many people were taking part.
Indian news website NDTV said the dead included three children and more than 20 women.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday expressed condolences over the incident and ordered the setting up of a committee to investigate it.
The incident occurred regarding 350 kilometres (217 miles) southwest of the state capital, Lucknow.
Stampedes and crowds are a frequent occurrence at Indian religious celebrations and are largely due to poor management of mass gatherings or the poor infrastructure surrounding places of worship.
The worst tragedy in recent years occurred in January 2011 in the southern state of Kerala, where 102 worshippers lost their lives in a wooded and mountainous area leading to a temple that was difficult to access.
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2024-07-06 17:26:15
