NEW DELHI: At least 116 people, including women and children, died in a stampede at a religious congregation in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras district on Tuesday afternoon. The devotees asphyxiated to their deaths and bodies piled up in the stampede -- among the biggest such tragedies in recent years -- that took place at a "satsang" where a self-styled guru, Bhole Baba, alias Narayan Saakar Hari, was addressing over 1 lakh followers in the Phulrai village.
President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the deaths and expressed grief. Mr Modi announced financial assistance of `2 lakh each to the family of the deceased and `50,000 for the injured.
Victims, dead or unconscious, particularly women, children and elderlies, according to UP government officials, were rushed to hospitals in Aligarh, Agra, Etah and Hathras in trucks and tempos. The officials said, "All the private hospitals have also been alerted to ensure timely treatment of injured victims."
The exact cause of the incident is being investigated while an FIR has been registered against the organisers of the event.
The officials blamed “overcrowding” as the reason behind the incident. The stampede took place when devotees tried to get a glimpse of Bhole Baba at the end of the event and also tried to collect some soil from around the Baba's feet.
"The stampede reportedly took place while people were leaving the venue at the end of the satsang, which was a day-long affair. People fell atop each other. Outside, the road was built at a height, with a drain below. One after the other, people started falling into the drain. Some people got crushed," an eyewitness said.
Another eyewitness said: “When Guru Ji left the podium, all of a sudden devotees ran behind him to touch his feet...When they turned back, some slipped and got crushed."
Soon after the incident, several National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams, including 14 medical staff and ambulances, were dispatched to the site. Additionally, the Central government has sent 35 other NDRF members to the location to assist relief and rescue operations.
As the death toll continued to rise, the Uttar Pradesh government, in a statement, said that more devotees were present at the satsang than permitted by the administration. “The number of attendees exceeded the administration’s permitted limit of 80,000 at the venue, leading to a stampede during Bhole Baba’s satsang,” a statement released by the state government said.
On the direction of the Uttar Pradesh CM, state ministers Laxmi Narayan Chaudhary and Sandeep Singh reached Hathras. Further, the chief secretary and the state police chief were rushed to the spot.
Another high-level team, including the ADGP and the Aligarh police commissioner, was formed to inquire into the causes of the tragedy. The UP CM is also likely to visit Hathras on Wednesday to take stock of the situation.
The district administration issued helpline numbers for the general public. “In view of the accident that took place in Hathras district, the district administration, keeping an eye on the situation, has issued helplines 05722227041 and 05722227042 for the general public,” the district administration said.
Soon after the incident, condolences poured in for the victims and injured. Expressing grief, Ms Murmu said the news is "heart-rending".
The Prime Minister, amid his reply in Parliament on the Motion of Thanks on the President's address, condoled the deaths. "In the midst of discussions, I have also been given sad news. It has come to my attention that there have been many tragic deaths in the stampede in Hathras, UP," Mr Modi said in the Lok Sabha. The PM also spoke with the UP CM.
Union home minister Amit Shah also spoke with the UP chief minister, offering full assistance to manage the aftermath of the stampede.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also expressed grief. Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav condoled the incident. Mr Gandhi urged the INDIA bloc leaders to render all possible help in the relief and recovery of the victims.
The SP chief, however, blamed the UP government for the safety and security of the people gathering on such a large scale.
