A tragic incident unfolded in a village in Uttar Pradesh state’s Hathras district, where more than 100 people lost their lives and over a dozen were injured in a stampede at a Hindu religious gathering. The chaos erupted after a sermon by a preacher, coupled with a fierce dust storm, created panic among the attendees as they were leaving the event. The resulting crush led to many being crushed and trampled, causing a significant number of women and children to perish.
The state’s chief medical officer, Umesh Kumar Tripathi, confirmed that many of the injured individuals have been hospitalized, while unverified videos on social media depicted bodies piled up outside a local hospital. Survivor accounts described the stampede as unfolding quickly after the event ended, with people rushing to leave and no clear escape route, leading to a tragic cascade of falling and crushing. The overcrowding at the event, with over 15,000 people gathering when permission was only granted for 5,000, was cited as a potential factor contributing to the deadly stampede.
In response to the heartbreaking incident, State Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath ordered an investigation, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced compensation for the next of kin of the deceased and the injured. The tragedy, while devastating, also underscores a concerning trend of deadly accidents at places of worship in India during religious festivals due to large crowds and insufficient safety measures. Past incidents in 2016, 2013, and 2008 serve as grim reminders of the risks associated with such gatherings.
