Tragedy Strikes Religious Event in Uttar Pradesh: Stampede: 27 killed

A stampede at a religious event in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh, resulted in 27 deaths, including three children. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath ordered an investigation and relief efforts. The incident occurred during a 'satsang' honoring a local guru.

It is a tragic occurrence that at least 27 people, including three children, suffocated to death in a stampede that occurred at a religious event in Hathras district of Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday. The tragedy took place during a ‘satsang’ (prayer meeting) which was conducted to pay tribute to a local ‘Guru’.

The 25 people who died were women while two were men as revealed by Dr. Umesh Kumar Tripathi, the Chief Medical Officer of Etah. Senior Superintendent of Police Rajesh Kumar also said that three children were among those killed. Stampede occurred in a village that is under the jurisdiction of the Sikandra Rao police station.

According to the testimonies of witnesses, the riots occurred when a great number of people started to leave after the end of the performance. Sorrowing scenes were witnessed at the CHC where the bodies were being dropped by buses and tempos, with the bereaved families.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath did not waste any time and has directed the authorities to constitute a special committee to look into the matter. The panel will be headed by the Additional Director General of Police, Agra, and the Commissioner of Aligarh.

In a statement shared on Facebook and Twitter, the Chief Minister urged the people to stay patient and informed that the relief and rescue operations are being done on a war footing. He has also ordered the officials to ensure adequate treatment to the people who were injured in the stampede.

Two state ministers have been sent to the spot – Laxmi Narayan Chaudhary and Sandeep Singh. The Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police have also been dispatched to address the situation.

This sad incident shows that there is always a lurking danger in large gatherings and this points to the need for more strict measures to control crowd especially during religious and public occasions.

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During investigations, the authorities are also trying to help the families of the victims and avoid the repetition of such events. The local community and the whole state of Delaware loses many precious lives in what should have been a harmless religious meeting.