The death toll from a stampede at a Hindu religious congregation in northern India has risen to 121, Indian media reported on Wednesday. According to a police report, the number of attendees was more than triple the permitted capacity.
The stampede occurred on Tuesday during a religious event in a village in Hathras district of Uttar Pradesh state, approximately 200km (125 miles) southeast of New Delhi. Police had granted permission for 80,000 people to gather, but around 250,000 people attended the event, according to the police report reviewed by Reuters.
At least 121 people were killed and 28 injured. The victims included 108 women and seven children, as stated by Manoj Kumar Singh, Uttar Pradesh state’s chief secretary.
The report described a scene of utter chaos when the preacher, Surajpal, also known as ‘Bhole Baba,’ was leaving in his car. Thousands of devotees shouted and ran towards the car, crushing others who were still seated. Some people also fell into an adjacent field of slush and mud and were trampled.
Local media reported that the event was organized by a group of devotees, but did not identify anyone specifically. ANI news agency, reported that police were trying to ascertain the whereabouts of the preacher.
Police officials in Hathras were not immediately available for comment.
One of the devotees at the event, Kamla, shared her experience with ANI. She had been attending the preacher’s gatherings for two decades and went to the satsang (religious meet) with her 16-year-old daughter. “A stampede broke out around 2 in the afternoon,” she said. Although both Kamla and her daughter were injured, her daughter succumbed in the hospital.
