Indian media reported on Tuesday that at least 87 people were feared dead after a crowd stampede at a religious event in the Hathras district of Uttar Pradesh state, about 125 miles from New Delhi. The dead reportedly included women and children.
What happened in Hathras Satsanga, Hindu Mass Prayer Meeting In theory, this could include followers of other religions as well. Satsang Traditionally Satguru, Especially enlightened religious leaders.
of Organizer The star of Tuesday’s event was Narayan Sarkar Hari, an eccentric self-proclaimed guru who goes by the name “Bole Baba,” and who claims to have left a variety of jobs, including a temporary stint with the Indian Intelligence Service, in the 1990s to embark on a path to enlightenment.
Narayan Hari has a variety of eccentricities, but generally scorns the traditional dress of Indian spiritual leaders and wears crisp white suits. He often conducts religious services with his wife. He claims to be a direct disciple of Hindu gods, some of whom revere him. he As their spiritual guide.
Tuesday’s event is not the first one Narayan Hari has organised. Got in trouble Unauthorized or unorganized SatsangIn May 2022, he ignored coronavirus regulations limiting crowd sizes to 50 people and held an event attended by around 50,000 people, blocking traffic in the city of Farukhaabad in Uttar Pradesh.
of Economic Times Indian Quote Authorities said the cause of Tuesday’s deadly stampede was overcrowding, with a huge crowd crammed into a tiny building called “Bhole Baba.” Pandal. The combination of extreme heat, humidity and poor ventilation created conditions for panic.
witness Said According to NDTV, violence broke out as the crowd tried to flee the unwelcome venue and they were told to wait until Guru left in his car. As the building’s exits were too small to accommodate the large crowd, one of the exits was closed, preventing Guru from leaving in his car. Satguru Depart slowly and with dignity.
“The injured have been taken to hospital. Doctors at the community health centre told me that between 50 and 60 people have died. It is a private affair and permission had been given by the district magistrate.” Hathras district commissioner Ashish Kumar said on Tuesday, “Security arrangements were made by the administration, but other arrangements were to be made by the organisers.”
Indian social media users posted unconfirmed images of bodies piled up outside the hospital, but local media reported the death toll was much higher than Kumar’s initial estimate. Police officials said 23 of the dead were women and three were children. Deccan Herald report The final death toll could be more than 90.
The tragedy quickly attracted the attention of national officials, including Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, President Draupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, all of whom offered their condolences to the families of the victims. Prime Minister Modi promised that the central government would provide support to hospitals and rescue workers in Uttar Pradesh. Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi also promised support from members of his political coalition.
Adityanath on Tuesday said the relief and rescue operations were being carried out on a “war footing” and the incident would be investigated thoroughly.
“It is heartbreaking to hear that many devotees, including women and children, have died in an accident in Hathras district of Uttar Pradesh,” Murmu said. “We offer our deepest condolences to the bereaved families and pray for a speedy recovery for those injured.”
