Around 116 people including women and children, have confirmed dead in Hathras after a stampede broke out during a religious congregation at a ‘satsang’ event in Uttar Pradesh’s Pulrai village on Tuesday where a large number of people had gathered.
“Deaths of 116 people have been confirmed. Out of them, 27 bodies are in Etah mortuary and rest are in Hathras. Those who have been injured are getting medical treatment and bodies have been sent to different places for post mortem. An FIR is also getting lodged. The FIR will be filed against the organisers who took the permission for the event,” said Aligarh Range IG Shalabh Mathur.
Tens of thousands of devotees had gathered in the Hathras district’s Phulrai village for the ‘satsang’, conducted by Baba Narayan Hari who is also known as Saakar Vishwa Hari Bhole Baba. Twenty-seven bodies were brought to a hospital in neighbouring Etah district, at 89 lay dead in Hathras itself.
Hathras District Magistrate Ashish Kumar said the incident occurred at a private event. “Permission for the event to be held was given by the SDM and it was a private event. A high-level committee has been formed to investigate the matter. The primary focus of the administration is to provide all possible help to the injured and kin of the deceased,” he added.
Bodies laid scattered at a medical centre in Hathras district as people milled around them, wiping away tears and consoling one another, news agency PTI reported. The heartbreaking scenes unfolded outside the district’s Sikandara Rao Trauma Centre, where victims, dead or unconscious, of the stampede that occurred at a ‘satsang’ in Phulrai village, were brought in ambulances, trucks and cars, it said.
A woman sat crying among five or six bodies in a truck, urging people to help her get the body of her daughter out of the vehicle. A video clip showed a man and a woman lying lifeless in a different vehicle.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed profound sorrow over the stampede in Hathras and announced Rs 2 lakh ex-gratia for the next of kin of the dead and Rs 50,000 for the injured.
Speaking at the Lok Sabha, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences to the kins of those who lost their lives. He further said, “The centre is in touch with state government and we will extend every possible help to the state.”
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has also announced financial assistance of Rs 2 lakhs each to the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 each to the injured.
Many of the injured were seen lying near the entrance of the local government hospital surrounded by anxious relatives. Locals blamed the administration’s negligence for the tragedy.
As the hours went by, the official estimate of the fatalities jumped and the crowds outside the trauma centre and the mortuary swelled.
Inspector General (Aligarh Range) Shalabh Mathur said, “It was a satsang meeting of Bhole Baba, a religious preacher. A temporary permission was granted for gathering at the spot on the border of Etah and Hathras district on Tuesday afternoon.”
Senior Superintendent of Police Rajesh Kumar said that 27 bodies have been brought to the Etah Hospital so far, out of which 23 are women. He added that there are no reports of people getting injured by the accident as of now.
Meanwhile, Etah Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr Umesh Kumar Tripathi said the hospital has received 27 bodies from the Hathras ‘satsang’. “Out of these, 25 are female and two are male. Police are carrying out their proceedings and our team is ready to conduct post-mortem after they are done,” he added.
ANI quoted official sources as saying that a team consisting of ADG Agra and Aligarh Commissioner has been constituted to enquire into the cause of the incident.
What led to the deaths?
While the exact cause of the accident is not known yet, the police said that prima facie it appears that suffocation led to the deaths of the attendees.
After people started to experience discomfort due to hot and humid weather they started to escape the venue which eventually caused the stampede.
CM Yogi orders speedy probe
Expressing condolence over the unfortunate incident, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed the district administration officials to immediately take the injured to the hospital for their proper treatment and to speed up the relief work at the spot.
He has also given instructions to investigate the causes of the incident under the leadership of ADG Agra and Commissioner Aligarh.
UP Minister Sandeep Singh said that the number of fatalities is expected to increase. “We have been instructed by the CM to reach the Hathras incident site and look into the matter and take required decisions on behalf of the government,” he said.
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27 die in stampede at religious gathering in UP’s Hathras; toll expected to go up, says minister
