In a tragic incident on Tuesday, a stampede at a religious event in Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras district resulted in the deaths of at least 116 people, primarily women. The stampede occurred following a gathering where the religious preacher Bhole Baba addressed a large crowd at Rati Bhanpur village in the Sikandra Rau area.
The stampede reportedly began when devotees started to leave the venue after the event, leading to overcrowding and chaos. Eyewitnesses and officials pointed to suffocation and panic as the primary causes. The number of attendees exceeded the permitted limit, causing a deadly rush.
Heartbreaking scenes unfolded outside the Sikandara Rao Trauma Centre, where bodies and injured victims were brought in by various means. Families of the victims were seen grieving and consoling each other.
In response to the tragedy, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced an ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh for the families of the deceased and ₹50,000 for the injured. He assured that strict action would be taken against those responsible, and a high-level inquiry has been ordered. Additionally, the organisers of the event will be included in the FIR for exceeding the permitted number of attendees.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Droupadi Murmu, and other leaders expressed their condolences. Union Home Minister Amit Shah offered full central assistance, while Puducherry CM N Rangasamy and German Ambassador Philipp Ackermann also conveyed their sympathies.
The incident highlights the recurring issue of poor crowd management at religious gatherings in India, which has led to numerous similar tragedies over the years.
