Kathmandu: At least 116 people have been killed in a crush at a religious gathering in northern India, police inspector Gen Shalabh Mathur has said. The incident took place at a satsang (a Hindu religious event) in Hathras district in Uttar Pradesh state.
The victims, including a large number of women and some children, are still being identified. Survivors have described how the disaster unfolded as they tried to leave the event in Mughalgarhi village.
It is not yet clear what led to the crush. Witnesses said the exit was too narrow and when people were leaving, a fierce dust storm led to confusion and panic, causing many people to become trampled.
In Hathras, the screams of distraught family members can be heard in the local hospital. Many people are trying to find their loved ones, many bodies are unclaimed.
There is a shortage of ambulances – each one is bringing two to three bodies. Hathras is filled with despair and pain.
Accidents are routinely reported at religious events in India, as huge crowds gather in tight spaces with little adherence to safety measures.
In 2018, around 60 people were killed after a train rammed into a crowd watching celebrations for Dusshera, a Hindu festival. In 2013, a crush at a Hindu festival in the central state of Madhya Pradesh had killed 115 people.
Source: BBC