- Over 50 people were killed in a crush at a Hindu religious event in Hathras district, Uttar Pradesh state.
- The incident occurred at a satsang (a Hindu religious event) in Mughalgarhi village.
- Survivors described the disaster as they attempted to leave the event.
Officials have reported that more than 50 people were killed in a crush at a religious gathering in northern India. The incident occurred at a satsang (a Hindu religious event) in Hathras district, Uttar Pradesh state.
“A figure of nearly 50-60 deaths has been reported to me by doctors,” district magistrate of Hathras Ashish Kumar said.
Authorities are still identifying the victims, who include a large number of women and some children. Survivors have described how the disaster unfolded as they attempted to leave the event in Mughalgarhi village.
“When the sermon finished, everyone started running out,” a woman named only Shakuntala told the Press Trust of India news agency.
“People fell in a drain by the road. They started falling one on top of the other and got crushed to death.”
Umesh Kumar Tripathi, chief medical officer from the neighboring district of Etah, informed reporters that the “stampede” had resulted in at least three children losing their lives. Distressing images from the site have been circulating online. Some videos depicted the injured being transported to hospitals in pick-up trucks, tuk-tuks, and even motorbikes.
A clip witnessed by the BBC showed several bodies left at the entrance of a local hospital while relatives screamed for help.
“Such a huge accident has happened but not a single senior officer is present here,” a relative in another video said. “Where is the administration?”
Mr. Kumar stated that the venue had been overcrowded, and he added that a high-level committee had been formed to investigate the incident.
“The primary focus of the administration is to provide all possible help to the injured and kin of the deceased,” he said.
A video shared by news agency PTI depicted the wounded being brought to a hospital for treatment.
“Procedure of post-mortem is underway and the matter is being investigated,” official Satya Prakash in the neighboring district of Etah said.
Accidents routinely occur at religious events in India, where huge crowds gather in tight spaces with little adherence to safety measures. In 2018, around 60 people lost their lives after a train collided with a crowd watching celebrations for Dusshera, a Hindu festival. In 2013, a crush at a Hindu festival in the central state of Madhya Pradesh claimed the lives of 115 people.
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