DEVELOPING STORY,
Several more injured after thousands gathered in Uttar Pradesh state’s Hathras district, as officials fear the toll could further rise.
Nearly 100 people have been crushed to death at a Hindu religious gathering in northern India, with many others injured, says a government official.
A large crowd had gathered on Tuesday in a village in Uttar Pradesh state’s Hathras district, about 200km (125 miles) southeast of national capital New Delhi, for a sermon by a preacher but a fierce dust storm sparked panic as people were leaving.
Many were crushed or trampled, falling on top of each other, with some collapsing into a roadside drain in the chaos.
“We have confirmed 97 deaths so far and are focusing on providing relief and medical aid for the victims,” Chaitra V, divisional commissioner of neighbouring Aligarh district, told the AFP news agency.
“The attendees were exiting the venue when a dust storm blinded their vision, leading to a melee and the subsequent tragic incident,” she said.
Most of the dead were women, according to state chief medical officer Umesh Kumar Tripathi, who told reporters “many injured” have been admitted to hospital.
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 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.
Wailing women and crying men gathered outside one mortuary in the town of Etah, where many of the dead were taken, seeking news of their relatives.
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.
“When the sermon finished, everyone started running out,” Shakuntala, another woman who gave only one name, told the Press Trust of India news agency.
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.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced compensation of $2,400 to the next of kin of those who died and $600 to those injured in the “tragic incident”.
“My condolences are with those who have lost their loved ones… I wish for the speedy recovery of all the injured,” Modi wrote on social media platform X.
President Droupadi Murmu said the deaths were “heart-rending” and offered her “deepest condolences”.
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
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Al Jazeera and news agencies