In a devastating incident, at least 121 people, including women and children, lost their lives in a stampede at a religious event in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh, on Tuesday. The tragic event unfolded during a ‘satsang’ (prayer meeting), with visuals from the Community Health Centre depicting a heart-wrenching scene of bodies being transported in buses and tempos as grieving relatives looked on.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has responded swiftly, ordering an investigation into the incident. Both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Droupadi Murmu have expressed their heartfelt condolences to the victims’ families and wished a speedy recovery for the injured. PM Modi assured that the central government would provide all necessary assistance to the Uttar Pradesh administration.
Hathras District Magistrate Ashish Kumar reported that the death toll, based on information from the community health centre, was between 50 and 60. Officials from the neighboring Etah district confirmed an additional 27 deaths.
Was permission to hold event sought?
“The stampede occurred in Pulrai village within the Sikandra Rao police station limits. The injured are being treated in hospitals. According to doctors, 50-60 people have died. This event was privately organised with permission from the sub-divisional magistrate. While the administration provided security, other arrangements were the responsibility of the organizers,” said Kumar.
#BreakingNews: The death toll in the #Hathras stampede during a satsang has risen to 50-60, with many injured as per the statement of DM Hathras.
सत्संग के दौरान #हाथरस भगदड़ में मरने वालों की संख्या 50-60 हो गई है, कई लोग घायल हुए हैं। pic.twitter.com/E9V3dmo9Yk
— Beats in Brief (@beatsinbrief) July 2, 2024
Chief Medical Officer of Etah, Dr. Umesh Kumar Tripathi, noted that 27 bodies, including 25 females and two males, were received at their facility. Some of the injured were also admitted to hospitals. He confirmed that the stampede happened during a ‘satsang.’
Senior Superintendent of Police, Etah, Rajesh Kumar added that three children were among the deceased. “So far, 27 bodies have been sent to the hospital, including 23 women and three children,” he said.
Why was the event held?
A woman who attended the event explained that it was held in honour of a local guru, Bhole Baba aka Narayan Saakar Hari. The stampede broke out as the crowd began to disperse.
CM’s relief and condolence
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), announced that relief and rescue operations were being conducted urgently and that proper treatment was being provided to the injured. He dispatched two state ministers, Laxmi Narayan Chaudhary and Sandeep Singh, to the village, along with the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police.
Expressing his condolences, Adityanath stated that a committee led by the Additional Director General of Police, Agra, and the Aligarh Commissioner had been formed to investigate the incident.
President Droupadi Murmu’s X post
President Droupadi Murmu also conveyed her sorrow via X. “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.
LoP Rahul Gandhi asks INDIA bloc workers to help
Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi extended his condolences and urged workers from the INDIA alliance to assist with rescue and relief efforts.
This horrific event has cast a pall over the religious gathering, prompting calls for a thorough investigation and heightened safety measures at such events in the future.
