A tragic stampede at a Hindu religious gathering in Hathras district, Uttar Pradesh, India, on July 2, 2024, has claimed at least 116 lives and left scores injured. The incident occurred during a ‘satsang’ (religious discourse) led by spiritual leader Bhole Baba, which attracted far more attendees than the permitted 80,000.According to eyewitness accounts, the stampede began as devotees rushed to leave the venue after the event concluded. Many fell into a ditch outside the compound, causing a chain reaction that led to numerous deaths from suffocation and trampling. Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Singh reported that the majority of the victims were women and children.The tragedy has raised questions about event management and crowd control. Despite the presence of police, the gathering exceeded its capacity significantly. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has ordered a high-level inquiry into the incident. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences and announced compensation of 200,000 rupees for the families of the deceased and 50,000 rupees for the injured.As authorities work to identify all victims and investigate the cause of the stampede, this incident stands as one of India’s deadliest crowd disasters in over a decade. The tragedy underscores the ongoing challenges of managing large gatherings in India, where stampedes at religious events have claimed hundreds of lives in recent years.
Key points
- A stampede at a Hindu religious gathering in Hathras, India, resulted in at least 116 deaths, mostly women and children.
- The event, led by spiritual leader Bhole Baba, exceeded its permitted capacity of 80,000 attendees.
- Indian authorities have launched investigations and announced compensation for the victims’ families.
Contradictions👾There are slight discrepancies in the reported death toll, with some sources citing 116 deaths, while others mention 105 or 97.
This may be due to ongoing updates as the situation developed.
