A tragic incident occurred during a religious event in northern India’s Hathras district, Uttar Pradesh, claiming the lives of at least 116 individuals, many of whom were women and children. This stampede marks one of the severest in India in recent years.
The tragedy occurred within a village approximately 200km southeast of New Delhi, where thousands of devotees had congregated amid intense afternoon temperatures. Of India’s populous states, Uttar Pradesh is home to the highest number. The state’s chief minister, Yogi Adityanath, reported the commotion started when followers crowded towards the stage to greet the departing preacher.
While the official cause of the incident has not been disclosed, Hathras district’s administrator Ashish Kumar speculates overcrowding as the event concluded could be a key factor. State official Chaitra V suggested to India Today that the intense heat may have caused people to scramble towards the water, resulting in a loss of footing on the wet mud. She additionally confirmed that 18 individuals had been hospitalised due to injury.
The police have duly commenced an investigation into the tragic incident, and affirmed that appropriate action would be taken against any party found culpable. It was added that if attendance exceeded the permissible limit, this would also be thoroughly looked into. Within 24 hours, a report should be ready, according to the state’s police chief, Prashant Kumar.
News agency ANI, in which Reuters maintains a minority stake, provided video documenting the aftermath, showing bodies being transported away on trucks. The site was littered with dust-covered purses and bags, and people could be seen sifting through personal items to identify their belongings. Unclaimed mobile phones were also accumulated. The event attendees were shown crowded in a tented area on social media. The clips presented a religious leader on a stage, with some attendees climbing the bamboo poles supporting the canopy to secure a better view. The authenticity of the social media images could not be confirmed by Reuters at the time.
An eyewitness named Suresh Chandra relayed to local press his account of a panic-stricken crowd of approximately 50,000 people causing a tragic stampede during a large gathering. He described a disorientated crowd diverging in different directions on the highway, which led to the ensuing chaos.
Seema, a female attendee, had journeyed almost 60km from a distant town to be part of the event. She was on her way out of the gathering when the calamity happened, with her three family members accompanying her. Tragically, two relatives she was with succumbed in the stampede.
It’s unfortunately not uncommon for large religious gatherings and pilgrimages to be marred by fatal accidents, often attributed to inadequate crowd control. Notable instances in recent memory include an incident in central India in 2013 where 115 lives were lost, and another in Maharashtra in 2005 where the death toll exceeded 340. Local media reported also the loss of nearly 250 lives in a 2008 stampede.
In response to this tragedy, the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, pledged central government aid to the state. He also announced compensatory measures for those affected: a sum of 200,000 rupees (equivalent to $2,400) for the bereaved families and 50,000 rupees for any injured parties.
Source: Copyright Thomson Reuters 2024.