The UP government has ordered an enquiry after 107 people were killed and several more injured in a stampede at a religious congregation in a village in Hathras district on Tuesday.
Senior Superintendent of Police, Etah, Rajesh Kumar Singh said the incident occurred at a 'satsang' in Pulrai village. Twenty-seven bodies were brought to a hospital in neighbouring Etah district. Senior Superintendent of Police Rajesh Kumar Singh said 23 of them were women. And 89 lay dead in Hathras itself.
According to officials, a team comprising the Agra additional director general of police and the divisional commissioner of Aligarh will probe the incident.
As per officials, people had gathered in large numbers for the event. There were more than 50,000 people at the religious congregation from Mathura, Agra, Firozabad and Etah.
Visuals from after the tragedy showed a woman crying, sitting amid five or six bodies in a truck. Another showed a man and a woman lifeless in another vehicle. Videos taken before the stampede showed people in a large 'shamiana' listening to Bhole Baba.
How Did The Mishap Unfold?
A large number of people had gathered at Ratibhaan Pur near the Hathras-Etah border to listen to the sermon of Sant Bhole Baba. The satsang was being organised by the Manav Mangal Milan Sadbhavna Samagam Committee.
The stampede apparently occurred due to overcrowding, Sikandara Rao police station SHO Ashish Kumar said.
Sikandra Rao sub divisional magistrate Ravendra Kumar said the stampede took place when devotees tried to get a glimpse of Bhole Baba as the event ended. "They also wanted to collect some soil from around the baba’s feet," he said.
Some blamed the stampede-like situation to the terrible humidity and heat in the pandal. As per the eyewitnesses, once the satsang ended, people started getting out through a narrow exit. As the people tried to exit towards the field, chaos erupted leading to a stampede.
Another eyewitness said that the road outside the venue was built at a height with a drain below. Due to the commotion, people started falling into it, while some got crushed, according to a report in India Today.
Satsang participant Sonu Kumar said the ground at the venue was slippery, further aggravating the problem. “When Guru ji left the place after almost one and half hours, all of a sudden devotees ran behind him to touch his feet,” he said. When they turned back, some slipped.
Another eyewitness, who left the place before the ‘satsang’ ended said the arrangements were not adequate, given the number of devotees.
Condolences Pour In
UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath offered his condolences to the families of those killed in the stampede and said instructions have been given to the concerned officials to conduct relief and rescue operations.
"The loss of life in the unfortunate accident in Hathras district is extremely sad and heart-wrenching. My condolences are with the bereaved family. Instructions have been given to the concerned officials to conduct relief and rescue operations on a war footing and to provide proper treatment to the injured," CM Yogi said in a post on X.
"A team has been formed under the leadership of ADG, Agra and Commissioner, Aligarh and instructions have also been given to investigate the causes of the accident. I pray to Lord Shri Ram to give a place to the departed souls in his feet and provide speedy recovery to the injured," he added.
Chief Medical Officer Arun Srivastava said, "The medical college has been put on alert...The teams in medical college are on alert mode. Forensic experts have also been arranged...Five ambulances have been sent... All the resources will be provided... All the private hospitals have also been alerted to ensure timely treatment of injured."