Devotee stampede in Uttar Pradesh leaves over 100 dead

In the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, on Tuesday, a crowd of devotees at religious ceremonies began to trample each other in panic for an as-yet-undetermined reason. Approximately 60 people died on the spot, and the death toll exceeded a hundred in the following hours.

The tragedy occurred in the village of Phulrai, within the jurisdiction of the Sikandra Rao police station in Hathras, about 190 kilometres from the capital, New Delhi. They celebrated a religious event called Satsang, a spiritual practice in Hinduism.

According to Indian television NDTV, state authorities were notified of the tragedy, and a special investigative commission was appointed to examine the circumstances. Hathras district judge Ashish Kumar said that, according to data received from the community health centre, 50-60 people died. Officials in the Etah district confirmed the deaths of another 27 people.

"The accident occurred during a private event. The district judge issued a permit for the gathering. Suddenly, for unknown reasons, panic erupted in the crowd. The administration was responsible for safety, but other arrangements were to be made by the organizers," said Judge Kumar.

Senior police inspector in Etah, Rajesh Kumar, reported that children were among the victims. "So far, 27 bodies have been sent to the hospital, of which 23 were women and three were children," confirmed the inspector.

A woman who participated in the satsang told NDTV that the devotees worshipped the local guru, Bhole Baba, known as Narayan Saakar Hari. Panic broke out when the crowd began to disperse.

The authorities announced that those injured during the tragically ended celebration can expect compensation. The amount has not yet been specified. It is only known that both the injured and the families of the victims can expect compensation. Officials also said that action would be taken against the organizers.

Indian Prime Minister Yogi Adityanath wrote on social media that officials have been instructed to carry out relief and rescue operations per special state protocols. Two state ministers, Laxmi Narayan Chaudhary and Sandeep Singh, went to the village with the chief secretary and the director general of police.

The prime minister offered condolences to the families of the deceased and said a commission had been appointed to investigate the incident. President Droupadi Murmu wrote in a post on X that "the incident is heart-wrenching."

"I express my deepest condolences to those who lost their family members and pray for the speedy recovery of those injured," wrote the president.

Rahul Gandhi, the opposition leader in the Lok Sabha, also expressed his condolences. He called on volunteers across India to help with the rescue and relief efforts.

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According to the authorities, during the terrifying incident that occurred on Tuesday during a religious event in Hathras in the state of Uttar Pradesh, at least 87 people, including women and three children, died.

Panic erupted during the "satsang" (prayer meeting), attended by hundreds of people. Visuals from the Community Health Centre showed several bodies being brought there by buses and tempos in the presence of grieving relatives.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath noted the incident, and in line with his instructions, a commission was appointed to investigate the incident. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Droupadi Murmu also expressed condolences to the families of those killed and said they are praying for the speedy recovery of the injured. Prime Minister Modi said that the central government is providing all possible assistance to the Uttar Pradesh government.