87, Including Children, Killed In Stampede At Religious Event In UP

In a horrifying incident, at least 87 people, including women and three children, were killed after a stampede broke out at a religious event in Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras on Tuesday, officials have said.

The stampede occurred during a ‘satsang’ (prayer meeting) which was attended by hundreds. Visuals from the Community Health Centre showed several bodies being brought there in buses and tempos in the presence of crying relatives.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has taken note of the incident and, on his directions, a committee has been set up to investigate the incident. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Droupadi Murmu also expressed their condolences to the families of those who were killed and said they were praying for the speedy recovery of the injured. PM Modi said the Centre is extending all possible help to the Uttar Pradesh government. 

Hathras District Magistrate Ashish Kumar said that, according to numbers received from the community health centre, 50-60 people were killed. Officials in Etah district confirmed the deaths of an additional 27.

“The stampede broke out in Phulrai village within the Sikandra Rao police station limits in Hathras. The injured are being taken to hospitals. Doctors at the community health centre have told me 50-60 people have died. 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.

Chief Medical Officer, Etah, Dr Umesh Kumar Tripathi, said, “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 said three children were among those killed in the stampede.

“So far, 27 bodies have been sent to the hospital, of which 23 are women and three are children,” Mr Kumar said.

A woman who attended the ‘satsang’ said it was organised in honour of a local guru, Bhole Baba aka Narayan Saakar Hari, and the stampede broke out as the crowd began to leave.

A compensation of Rs 2 lakh each has been announced for the families of the dead and Rs 50,000 for the injured. Officials said a case will be registered against the organisers.

Probe Committee Formed

In a post on X, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said instructions have been given to officials to conduct relief and rescue operations on a war footing and to provide proper treatment to the injured. Two state ministers, Laxmi Narayan Chaudhary and Sandeep Singh, have left for the village and the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police have also been sent there. 

जनपद हाथरस की दुर्भाग्यपूर्ण दुर्घटना में हुई जनहानि अत्यंत दुःखद एवं हृदय विदारक है।

मेरी संवेदनाएं शोक संतप्त परिजनों के साथ हैं।

संबंधित अधिकारियों को राहत एवं बचाव कार्यों के युद्ध स्तर पर संचालन और घायलों के समुचित उपचार हेतु निर्देश दिए हैं।

उत्तर प्रदेश सरकार में मा.…

— Yogi Adityanath (@myogiadityanath) July 2, 2024

Expressing his condolences to the families of those who have died, he said a committee has been set up to investigate the incident. The panel will be headed by the Additional Director General of Police,  Agra, and the Aligarh Commissioner. 

In a post on X President Droupadi Murmu said the incident was heart-rending.

उत्तर प्रदेश के हाथरस जिले में हुई दुर्घटना में महिलाओं और बच्चों सहित अनेक श्रद्धालुओं की मृत्यु का समाचार हृदय विदारक है। मैं अपने परिवारजनों को खोने वाले लोगों के प्रति गहन शोक संवेदना व्यक्त करती हूं तथा घायल हुए लोगों के शीघ्र स्वस्थ होने की कामना करती हूं।

— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) July 2, 2024

“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 requested workers from the INDIA alliance to help with the rescue and relief efforts.