116 dead in stampede at UP religious event

New Delhi, July 2: At least 116 people, predominantly women and children, died and hundreds of others were injured in a stampede during a religious event in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras district on Tuesday afternoon.

The incident occurred shortly after Bhole Baba, a religious preacher, addressed his followers at a special function in Rati Bhanpur village within the Sikandra Rau area of Hathras district, about 202 km from Delhi and around 350 km from Lucknow.

President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed their condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the shocking incident and assured all necessary help and support.

Expressing grief over the stampede, President Murmu posted on X, “The news of the death of many devotees, including women and children, is heart-rending. I express my deepest condolences to those who lost their family members and pray for the speedy recovery of those injured."

During his Lok Sabha speech, PM Modi paused to share the tragic news of the stampede.

“Amid these 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,” he said.

The PM also said that senior central government officers had been instructed to contact their state counterparts to coordinate rescue and aid efforts.

“Through this forum, I assure everyone that all possible assistance will be provided to the victims,” he added.

PM Modi announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 2 lakh from the PM’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the Next of Kin (NoK) of each deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured.

In a tweet, he said, “Spoke to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh. The UP government is engaged in providing all possible help to all the victims. My condolences are with those who have lost their loved ones in this. Along with this, I wish for the speedy recovery of all the injured, @myogiadityanath.”

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 2 lakh each to the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for those injured.

Additionally, he formed a team, including the Additional Director General of Police and the Aligarh Police Commissioner, to investigate the causes of the tragedy.

The CM would visit Hathras on Wednesday morning.

Several additional medical teams including the NDRF team are being arranged to send to Hathras while the Hathras district administration issued helpline numbers for the people.

“Given the accident that took place in Hathras district, the district administration, keeping an eye on the situation of the incident, has issued helplines 05722227041 and 05722227042 for the help of people,” Hathras DM Ashish Kumar posted on X.

WITNESSES BLAME OVERCROWDING, POOR MANAGEMENT

Witnesses and Police told local media that suffocation at the crowded venue led to discomfort among attendees at the 'Satsang'.

This resulted in panic and a subsequent stampede as people tried to escape.

Several locals are missing and their loved ones are gathering outside the nearby hospitals where authorities are trying to identify the dead or injured.

An investigation into the exact cause of the incident is ongoing.

Dozens of bodies and injured were taken to nearby hospitals in whatever vehicles were available, including two-wheelers, by local youth and volunteers amid massive chaos.

The Uttar Pradesh government is taking the issue seriously, and an FIR will be registered against the organisers of the event.

Reports said that more devotees were present at the 'Satsang' than permitted by the administration.

“The number of attendees exceeded the administration’s permitted limit at the venue, leading to a stampede during Bhole Baba’s Satsang,” a statement released by the state government said.

It said that Chief Secretary Manoj Singh and DGP Prashant Kumar had been dispatched to the spot.

There has been no word from the organisers or the Bhole Baba and several media persons covering the tragedy feel that he has left the area.

Victims were transported to the Sikandara Rao Trauma Centre in trucks and other vehicles, and bodies were laid outside the health centre.

A viral video clip showed a woman crying among several bodies in a truck, while another image depicted a man and a woman lying lifeless in a vehicle.

One survivor described the horror to the media, saying that the stampede occurred when the event ended, and people tried to leave through narrow exits amid the intense heat.

Many devotees wanted to have the “feet-dust” of the spiritual leaders, which they considered “spiritual and healing”.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah expressed his condolences on the Hathras stampede while assuring that the local administration would be engaged in relief work.

“I am deeply saddened by the tragic accident in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh. I express my condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in this accident. May God give them strength to bear this pain,” Shah posted on X.

He also prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured.

“An NDRF team will soon reach Hathras,” Shah posted on X.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge called the stampede “extremely painful” and urged opposition party workers to assist those affected.

He expressed condolences to the bereaved families and urged the government to ensure immediate compensation and medical treatment for the victims.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also expressed his grief over the incident and urged the state government and administration to provide necessary treatment for the injured.

He called on the INDIA bloc leaders to assist in relief and recovery efforts.

Speaking on the Hathras stampede incident, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said that the government was responsible for the safety and security of people gathering on such a large scale.

“We were inside the House when we received the information about the incident. The question is so many people died... what was the government doing?” he said.

Yadav said that the government should help the families of the deceased while adding that he was hopeful that the injured would be provided good medical treatment.

There have been several incidents of stampedes at religious events in the past, highlighting the need for better crowd management and safety measures.

WHO’S BHOLE BABA

Bhole Baba, originally named Narayan Sakar Hari, left his government job 26 years ago to deliver religious sermons and has since garnered millions of followers across India, particularly in western Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Delhi.

Hailing from Bahadur Nagari village in Etah district, Baba distinguishes himself from many spiritual leaders by not wearing saffron robes or distinct religious attire.

Instead, he is often seen in a white suit, tie, and shoes, or sometimes in kurta-pajamas.

The recent congregation in Hathras, organised by the Manav Mangal Milan Sadbhavana Samagam Committee and led by Baba, was held in Phulrai Mugalgadhi village.

Despite obtaining permission for the event, the organisers were unprepared for the large crowd that gathered.

Some reports suggest that there were more than 30,000 or more devotees present in the Satsang.

The event was widely publicised through posters in Hathras, which attracted a significant number of visitors.

Baba's programmes are regularly organised in Uttar Pradesh, drawing thousands of attendees. Volunteers at these gatherings ensure the necessary arrangements for devotees, including food and drinks.

Baba gained significant attention for continuing to attract large crowds despite restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

His ability to draw and manage large gatherings has made him a prominent figure in the spiritual community.