At least 116 people, including 106 women and seven children, lost their lives in a tragic stampede at a religious event in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh, on Tuesday.
The incident occurred during a 'satsang' (prayer meeting) attended by thousands. Visuals from the Community Health Centre showed numerous bodies being brought in by buses and tempos, accompanied by grieving relatives.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has ordered an investigation into the incident, forming a committee to look into the matter. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Droupadi Murmu expressed their condolences to the victims' families and wished for the speedy recovery of the injured. PM Modi assured that the Centre is providing all necessary support to the Uttar Pradesh government.
Hathras District Magistrate Ashish Kumar reported that 50-60 deaths were confirmed by the community health centre, while officials in Etah district confirmed an additional 27 deaths. Inspector General (Aligarh Range) Shalabh Mathur later updated the death toll to 116.
"The stampede broke out in Phulrai village within the Sikandra Rao police station limits in Hathras. This was a private event and permission had been given by the sub-divisional magistrate. Security arrangements were made by the administration but the other arrangements were supposed to be made by the organisers," Mr Kumar said.
Dr. Umesh Kumar Tripathi, Chief Medical Officer of Etah, stated, "We have received 27 bodies, of which 25 are female and two are male. Some injured have also been taken to hospitals. We have heard that there was a stampede during a 'satsang'." Senior Superintendent of Police (Etah) Rajesh Kumar noted that three children were among the deceased.
IG Shalabh Mathur confirmed, "So far, 166 deaths have been confirmed. 27 bodies are in the Etah mortuary and the rest are in Hathras. They have been sent for post-mortem to different places. We are working hard to ensure that the injured get the best possible treatment at the earliest. A case is being registered and the names of the people who took permission for the event will be added. Prima facie, it appears that there were more people than were allowed."
A woman who attended the 'satsang' mentioned it was held in honor of a local guru, Bhole Baba aka Narayan Saakar Hari, and the stampede began as the crowd was leaving. Sources indicated that devotees were prevented from leaving until the guru's car had departed, leading to a large crowd buildup in a small area
A compensation of ₹2 lakh for each family of the deceased and ₹50,000 for the injured has been announced. Officials said a case will be filed against the organizers.
In a post on X, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath stated that instructions have been given for relief and rescue operations to be conducted on a war footing, and for proper treatment to be provided to the injured. Two state ministers, Laxmi Narayan Chaudhary and Sandeep Singh, have been dispatched to the village, along with the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police.
President Droupadi Murmu expressed her condolences on X, describing the incident as heart-rending. "The news of the death of many devotees, including women and children, in the accident in Hathras district of Uttar Pradesh is heart-rending. I express my deepest condolences to those who lost their family members and pray for the speedy recovery of those injured," she posted in Hindi.
Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, also extended his condolences and urged workers from the INDIA alliance to assist in rescue and relief efforts.
