OAN’s Brooke Mallory
Tuesday, July 2, 2024 5:42 PM
At least 116 people were killed on Tuesday in the central Indian state of Uttar Pradesh when crowds surged during a religious event, authorities said.
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Most of the victims appear to be women, but authorities were still working to confirm how many injured people had been taken to various hospitals in the area.
The crowd suddenly went berserk during a “satsang” prayer meeting led by a Hindu guru in the village of Rati Bhanpur in the state’s Hathras district. In a frenzy, thousands of the guru’s followers, who had gathered under tents to escape the scorching heat and hear him preach, began running.
However, “some witnesses told local media that the mob began to stampede as the event ended and people began rushing to leave the venue.” CBS News report.
Uttar Pradesh Inspector General of Police Shalabh Mathur ultimately confirmed that at least 116 people were killed in total.
Hathras district commissioner Ashish Kumar initially said a local community health centre had confirmed 50 to 60 deaths from the district alone, but Indian media later confirmed the death toll was much higher.
Videos circulating on social media showed scores of bodies, mostly elderly people and women, being taken to a nearby hospital.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the state’s most senior official, launched an investigation into the incident after local residents began voicing their dissatisfaction and criticism that the massive rally, held in sweltering heat, had not been properly planned.
Senior police officer Shalabh Mathur said a local guru, a Hindu preacher known as “Bole Baba”, had arranged for a “temporary permit” to hold a religious gathering.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the Uttar Pradesh state government was providing “all possible assistance” to the victims.
Pawan Khera, leader of the opposition Indian National Congress party, said the state government, led by Bharatiya Janata Party leader Narendra Modi, was not adequately prepared for the eventuality. He argued that hospitals where the injured were admitted did not have enough medical professionals or resources to treat them.
Unruly crowds are not uncommon at such events in India as religious ceremonies are usually organised in private and often lack proper security and crowd control measures.
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