MORE than 120 people were killed in a stampede during a Hindu religious event in a village in Hathras district, Uttar Pradesh state, regarding 200 kilometers southeast of New Delhi, northern India, on Tuesday (2/7).
“At least 121 people were killed in clashes at a religious gathering in northern India,” officials said.
The incident took place at a satsang, or Hindu religious event, in Hathras district in Uttar Pradesh state. The victims, including a large number of women and several children, are yet to be identified.
Survivors described how the disaster occurred as they tried to leave the scene in Phulrai village. It is not yet clear what caused the incident.
Eyewitnesses said the exits were too narrow and as people came out, a powerful dust storm caused confusion and panic, leading to many being trampled.
An eyewitness, who asked not to be named, told the BBC that everything was fine. Until suddenly he heard screaming and before he knew it, people were falling over each other.
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“A lot of people were trampled and I mightn’t do much. I was just lucky to survive,” he said.
“When the speech was over, everyone started scattering,” a woman named Shakuntala told the Press Trust of India news agency.
“People fell into the gutter on the side of the road. They started falling on each other and were crushed to death,” he added.
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Umesh Kumar Tripathi, chief medical officer of neighbouring Etah district, told reporters the stampede had left at least three children dead.
A senior police spokesman in Uttar Pradesh told the BBC it would take hours to release the final tally.
Horrific images from the site have been circulating online, with some videos showing injured people being taken to hospital in pick-up trucks and even motorbikes.
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A clip seen by the BBC showed several bodies left at the entrance of a local hospital as relatives screamed for help.
“A major accident has occurred but not a single senior officer is present here,” a relative said in another video.
“Where is the administration?”
Kumar said the venue was overcrowded, adding that a high-level committee had been formed to investigate the incident.
“The government’s primary focus is to provide all possible assistance to the injured and the families of the deceased,” he said.
A video shared by news agency PTI showed the injured being taken to hospital for treatment.
“The post-mortem procedure is underway and the matter is being investigated,” said Satya Prakash, an official in neighbouring Etah district.
In Hathras, the cries of desperate family members were heard at the local hospital. Many people were searching for their loved ones, and many bodies were unclaimed.
There is a shortage of ambulances, each ambulance carrying two to three bodies. Hathras was filled with despair and pain.
As is known, accidents are often reported at religious events in India, as many people gather in narrow spaces and do not adhere to safety measures.
In 2018, regarding 60 people were killed following a train ploughed into a crowd celebrating Dusshera, a Hindu festival. In 2013, riots at a Hindu festival in Madhya Pradesh state killed 115 people.
(BBC/Z-9)
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