At least 87 killed in stampede at religious event in India

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.

Government official Ashish Kumar told journalists that at least 60 bodies had reached mortuaries in the district.

‘There is a possibility that the toll may go up,’ Manish Chikara, a district police spokesperson, told Reuters news agency by phone.

The stampede occurred as attendees rushed to leave following the event with a religious leader named Bhole Baba, local media reported.

Unverified videos on social media showed bodies piled up on the ground outside a local hospital. Al Jazeera could not immediately verify the videos.

Police in Hathras said more than 150 injured people were admitted to hospitals after the incident.

Police officer Rajesh Singh said overcrowding may have been a factor. Initial reports suggested that over 15,000 people had gathered for the event, which had permission to host about 5,000.

One survivor, Jyoti, who goes only by her first name, told local media that the stampede happened quickly as soon as the event ended.

‘Everyone was in a rush to leave … There was no way out and people were falling on each other,’ she said.

State Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has ordered an investigation into the incident.

‘Instructions have been given to the concerned officials to conduct relief and rescue operations on war footing and to provide proper treatment to the injured,’ he wrote on X.

Deadly accidents are common at places of worship in India during major religious festivals, when large crowds gather in small areas with few safety measures.

At least 112 people were killed in 2016 after a huge explosion caused by a banned fireworks display at a temple marking the Hindu New Year. The explosion ripped through concrete buildings and ignited a fire at a temple complex in Kerala state, where thousands had gathered.

Another 115 devotees died in 2013 after a stampede at a bridge near a temple in Madhya Pradesh state in central India.

Up to 400,000 people had gathered in the area. The stampede occurred after a rumour spread that the bridge was about to collapse.

At least 224 pilgrims died and more than 400 others were injured in a 2008 stampede at a hilltop temple in the northern city of Jodhpur in Rajasthan state.

Source: Al-Jazeera, NDTV, AFP