July 2, 2024 – 8:00 PM
An ambulance carries victims in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh, India, on July 2, 2024. – Photo: Pawan Sharma/AFP
At least 116 people have been killed in a mass panic at a religious gathering in India. The incident occurred in the central Indian state of Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday. The victims are still being identified. CBS News ReportsMost of the victims were women and included at least three children. The mass incident occurred during a satsang, or prayer meeting, organised by a Hindu guru in a village called Rati Bhanpur. Thousands had attended the event to hear the guru speak.
It is not yet clear what caused the panic, but according to local reports, it broke out as the event ended and people began to leave the venue. Quoted from BBC According to eyewitnesses, the exit was very narrow, but the dust storm during the exit may have contributed to the panic. One witness described how everything was going well for a while, then suddenly he heard screaming, people were hitting each other and started trampling on each other; others reported that dozens of people fell into the ditch on the side of the road.
A local police officer told the newspaper it could take several hours before final figures are released. The state’s top official, Chief Minister Jogi Adityanath, has ordered an investigation into the tragedy because, according to those who attended the event, preparations for the gathering, which was held in sweltering heat, had been inadequate. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the Uttar Pradesh government would provide all possible assistance to the victims and their relatives.
The deadliest mass incident at a religious event in India occurred in 2005, when more than 340 people died at a temple in Maharashtra state.
