At least 80 people, including women and children, were killed in a stampede at a religious congregation in Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras district on Tuesday, officials said,
The ‘satsang’ of Lord Shiva, organised by the Manav Mangal Milan Sadbhavna Samagam Committee, was being held in Ratibhanpur and a huge crowd had gathered there to listen to the religious discourse.
While Hathras District Magistrate Ashish confirmed the deaths of around 60 people in his district, officials from Etah said that another 27 deaths had been reported from hospitals there.
The injured and dead were taken to hospitals in both Hathras and the neighbouring Etah district. Among the dead were several women and children.
It is terrible to hear about the several deaths of common individuals and children at the Hathras. In view of the accident that took place in Hathras district, the district administration has issued helplines 05722227041 and 05722227042 for the help of common people.…
— Trilok Singh🇮🇳 (@TrilokSinghLIVE) July 2, 2024
Addressing media soon after the incident, senior police officer, Rajesh Kumar Singh, said that the stampede took place at a religious event that was going on in a village of Hathras district.
The stampede likely took place due to overcrowding and humidity, another police officer said.
As per local sources, the stampede occurred as the event concluded when some people tried to move out of the pandal amid the humid conditions while others tried to push them back, leading to confusion and chaos.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh each to the kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 each to those injured in the incident.
The Chief Minister’s office has sought a report about the stampede and the organisers of the discourse and strict action is being planned against them.
Senior officials have reached the site of the incident to supervise rescue operations. Police force from adjoining districts has also been called in. ADG Agra Aparna Kulshretra has also reached Hathras.
Akhilesh Yadav slams UP govt for Hathras tragedy
As the death toll continued to climb in the Hathras stampede tragedy on Tuesday, Samajwadi Party President and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav slammed the state government for not taking enough safety measures as a religious congregation was organised in the district.
More than 100 people, including women and children, are feared dead during the stampede at the Hathras event.
“We were inside the Parliament when we got the information about the tragic incident. How can so many people die, what was the government doing? If such a huge gathering was being organised then the government should have made proper arrangements right from the start of the event. The state government is responsible for this and should now help families of the victims and take care of the injured,” Akhilesh Yadav said after coming out of the Parliament building.
Leader of the Opposition, Congress’ Rahul Gandhi also offered his condolences to the families of those who died in the stampede.
“The government should sensitively help people. I offer my condolences to all the families who have lost their loved ones,” he said after attending the ongoing Lok Sabha session.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also spoke to UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath regarding the tragic incident. “The UP government is engaged in providing all possible help to all the victims. My condolences are with those who have lost their loved ones in this. Along with this, I wish for the speedy recovery of all the injured,” he posted on X after the phone call.
