Over 100 people were feared dead and several others injured as tragedy struck Hathras when a stampede broke out among devotees attending a ‘satsang’ on Tuesday.
The deceased included mostly women and children. Though the district magistrate of Hathras officially reported around 60 casualties, sources claimed that over 100 devotees died in the accident.
Bereaved family members and local residents staged demonstrations in front of many hospitals, protesting delays in treatment.
Senior officers, along with police forces from all districts of the Aligarh range, were summoned to manage the demonstrators.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed his condolences to the families of those killed in the stampede.
In a statement from the UP CM Office, Yogi also wished for the speedy recovery of the injured. He directed the district administration officials to ensure that the injured receive proper treatment and to expedite relief efforts on-site.
An investigation into the causes of the incident was ordered, led by the Agra ADG and Aligarh Commissioner. The Chief Minister announced a compensation of `2 lakh for the families of those killed and `50,000 for the injured.
Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Singh and Director General of Police Prashant Kumar were instructed to reach Hathras to gather first-hand information about the incident and to check whether the necessary permissions for the sermon had been granted.
The local administration claimed they had permitted 5,000 devotees, but if they had known such a large crowd would attend, they would have either denied permission or implemented necessary measures. UP Minister Sandeep Singh was also asked to visit the site and submit a report for further action.
According to official sources, a team led by the Agra ADG and Aligarh Commissioner has been formed to investigate the causes of the stampede.
Etah SSP Rajesh Kumar Singh said a religious programme in Mughalgarhi village of Hathras district resulted in the stampede. So far, 27 bodies, including those of 23 women, three children, and one man, had been brought to Etah hospital.
The injured are being treated at hospitals, and the deceased are being identified.
However, sources claimed that 95 bodies were queued up outside the Sikandrarao CHC. The Hathras DM confirmed the death toll to be between 50-60 and said they were still managing the situation and would provide exact figures later.
Senior Superintendent of Police Rajesh Kumar Singh stated that the accident occurred in Fullerai village of Sikandrarao police station area of Hathras district during Bhole Baba’s satsang. He mentioned that a religious event in Mughalgarhi village in Ratibhanpur on the Etah-Hathras border led to the stampede, resulting in many deaths, including those of children.
The exact cause of the stampede will be determined after the enquiry is completed.
A local resident confirmed that the stampede occurred after the completion of Bhole Baba’s satsang due to terrible humidity and heat in the pandal.
More than one lakh devotees were present when the incident took place.
There was a significant delay in the arrival of police and ambulances. Local people sent the injured to nearby hospitals. Eyewitnesses claimed that the number of dead was higher than reported, as many injured were sent to different hospitals in nearby districts, including Hathras, Aligarh, and Etah.
Meanwhile, the real name of Bhole Baba, is said to be Narain Sarkar Hari, who belongs to the Bahadur hamlet of Patiyali Tehsil in Etah.
He was an employee in the Intelligence Bureau but left the job 26 years ago to turn towards spirituality.
His followers hail from Western Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan , Delhi and Uttrakhand. The posters put up at the venue showed the names of organisers as Devprakash Madhukas (engineer), Mahesh Chandra, Anar Singh, Sanju Yadav, Chandradev, and Ramprakash.
