LUCKNOW, India (AP) — Thousands of people at a religious gathering in India rushed to leave a makeshift tent, setting off a stampede Tuesday that killed at least 116 people and injured scores, officials said.
It was not immediately clear what triggered the panic following an event with a Hindu guru known locally as Bhole Baba. Local news reports cited authorities who said heat and suffocation in the tent could have been a factor. Video of the aftermath showed the structure appeared to have collapsed.
At least 116 people died, most of them women and children, said Prashant Kumar, the director-general of police in northern India’s state of Uttar Pradesh, where the stampede occurred.
More than 80 others were injured and admitted to hospitals, senior police officer Shalabh Mathur said.
“People started falling one upon another, one upon another. Those who were crushed died. People there pulled them out,” witness Shakuntala Devi told the Press Trust of India news agency.
Relatives wailed in distress as bodies of the dead, placed on stretchers and covered in white sheets, lined the grounds of a local hospital. A bus that arrived there carried more victims, whose bodies were lying on the seats inside.
Deadly stampedes are relatively common around Indian religious festivals, where large crowds gather in small areas with shoddy infrastructure and few safety measures.
Police officer Rajesh Singh said there was likely overcrowding at the event in a village in Hathras district about 350 kilometers (220 miles) southwest of the state capital, Lucknow.
Initial reports said organizers had permission to host about 5,000 people, but more than 15,000 came for the event by the Hindu preacher, who used to be a police officer in the state before he left his job to give religious sermons. He has led other such gatherings over the last two decades.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered condolences to the families of the dead and said the federal government was working with state authorities to ensure the injured received help.
Uttar Pradesh’s chief minister, Yogi Adityanath, called the stampede “heart-wrenching” in a post on X. He said authorities were investigating.
“Look what happened and how many people have lost their lives. Will anyone be accountable?” Rajesh Kumar Jha, a member of parliament, told reporters. He said the stampede was a failure by the state and federal governments to manage large crowds, adding that “people will keep on dying” if authorities do not take safety protocols seriously enough.
In 2013, pilgrims visiting a temple for a popular Hindu festival in central Madhya Pradesh state trampled each other amid fears that a bridge would collapse. At least 115 were crushed to death or died in the river.
In 2011, more than 100 Hindu devotees died in a crush at a religious festival in the southern state of Kerala.
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Pathi reported from New Delhi.
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Rephrased content:
In Lucknow, India, a tragic incident unfolded as a stampede broke out during a religious gathering, resulting in the death of at least 116 individuals with scores injured, officials confirmed. The chaos occurred after attendees at the makeshift tent event, featuring a local Hindu guru known as Bhole Baba, rushed to leave. The exact cause of the panic remains unclear, although reports from local authorities suggest that heat and suffocation within the tent may have contributed. Footage following the stampede indicated that the structure may have collapsed.
Among the deceased, most were women and children, as stated by Prashant Kumar, the director-general of police in Uttar Pradesh. Alongside the fatalities, over 80 individuals sustained injuries and were taken to hospitals for treatment, according to senior police officer Shalabh Mathur.
Witnesses described a harrowing scene as people fell over each other during the stampede, with individuals being crushed to death. Eyewitness Shakuntala Devi recounted the tragic events, emphasizing the efforts of those present to assist the injured. Distraught relatives mourned as the deceased were laid out on stretchers, covered in white sheets, at a local hospital. Additional casualties arrived by bus, with bodies placed on the seats within.
Deadly stampedes are a recurring issue during religious festivals in India, mainly due to overcrowding, inadequate infrastructure, and safety measures. Police Officer Rajesh Singh suggested overcrowding as a probable cause of the stampede in a village in Hathras district, approximately 350 kilometers southwest of Lucknow.
Initial reports indicated that while organizers had permission for around 5,000 attendees, over 15,000 people gathered for the event led by the former police officer turned Hindu preacher. Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended condolences to the victims’ families and pledged federal support for the injured, working in conjunction with state authorities.
Uttar Pradesh’s chief minister, Yogi Adityanath, expressed sorrow over the tragic stampede, labeling it as “heart-wrenching” in a social media post. He assured the public of an ongoing investigation into the incident. The lack of accountability and safety protocols in managing large crowds was condemned by Member of Parliament Rajesh Kumar Jha, who criticized the state and federal governments, warning that similar tragedies could recur if stringent safety measures are not implemented.
Regrettably, stampedes have plagued religious gatherings in the past in India, with instances like a 2013 incident in Madhya Pradesh where pilgrims died due to crowding concerns. Similarly, in 2011, over 100 Hindu devotees perished during a religious festival in Kerala.
