More than 100 people died in a stampede during a religious ceremony in India
A crowd gathered to listen to the famous preacher Bhole Baba in a village in the Hatras district of Uttar Pradesh, India . As a result, at least 116 people died. The government announced that the number of victims may increase. Witnesses said that the crowd was trying to get closer to the priest and take his hokipoi.
At least 116 people were killed in a stampede at a religious ceremony in the Hatras district of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, the BBC reported. Officials say the death toll could rise.
The tragedy occurred in the village of Rati Bhanpur, on the outskirts of which people had gathered to listen to the famous preacher Bhole Baba. Such religious meetings are called " satsang " .
The process of identifying the victims, most of whom are women and children, is still ongoing.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised to provide financial assistance to the families of those killed and injured in the traffic jam.
It is unclear what exactly caused the traffic jam. According to witnesses, the exit was very narrow, and a strong dust storm caused confusion and panic as people left the event, leaving many people stranded .
Ashish Kumar, the officer-in-charge of the Hathras police station, said that the jam occurred due to the large number of people who had gathered for the event.
"The number of pilgrims has exceeded the limit permitted by the administration, leading to a traffic jam," the state government said in a statement.
Shakuntala Devi, one of the women who attended the event, told the Press Trust of India (PTI) that the stampede occurred when the crowd started leaving the venue for the day-long satsang. According to him, people fell on top of each other trying to get close to the priest or take his hokipoi .
"People were falling into the ditch next to the road. They started falling on top of each other and suffocated to death," said the woman.
It is noted that the number of victims may increase, as some of the injured were rushed to a hospital in the neighboring district.
"According to estimates, at least 150 wounded have been admitted to the medical center here," he said.
He also noted that at least three children were killed in the collision.
Ambulances are in short supply - each carrying two or three bodies.
Representatives of the state authorities announced that a high-level special commission was formed to investigate the incident, and noted that the main task of the administration is to provide comprehensive assistance to the victims and relatives of the victims.
Accidents at religious events in India are very common . Because most of them take place in closed places with insufficient security measures, with the participation of a large number of people.
In 2018, around 60 people were killed when a train crashed into a crowd watching the Indian festival of Vijayadashami.
In 2013, 115 people were killed in a stampede during a Hindu religious festival in the central state of Madhya Pradesh.
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