In a heart-wrenching incident, at least 116 people were crushed to death during a Hindu religious gathering near the city of Hathras in northern India on Tuesday, according to government officials. This catastrophe marks the deadliest such event in more than a decade.
The tragedy occurred when a large crowd, gathered for a sermon by a popular preacher, was caught in a fierce dust storm as they were leaving the venue. The storm caused panic, leading to a chaotic stampede. Many attendees were trampled or fell on top of each other, with some collapsing into a roadside drain.
“The attendees were exiting the venue when a dust storm blinded their vision, leading to a melee and the subsequent tragic incident,” explained Chaitra V, divisional commissioner of Aligarh city in Uttar Pradesh state. “We are focusing on providing relief and medical aid for the victims,” she added.
Senior police officer Shalabh Mathur noted that the number of attendees exceeded the permissions granted, which contributed to the chaos. Several hours after the incident, Chaitra reported that “the death toll stands at 116,” with at least 18 others injured.
Most of the victims were women, as confirmed by state chief medical officer Umesh Kumar Tripathi, who stated that many injured had been hospitalized. Ambulances lined up to transport the injured to nearby hospitals, while grieving families gathered outside a mortuary in Etah, desperate for news of their loved ones.
Deadly incidents at religious gatherings are tragically common in India, particularly during major festivals that draw millions of devotees. Such events often suffer from poor crowd management and safety lapses.
Witnesses described the horror of the scene. “When the sermon finished, everyone started running out,” recounted Shakuntala, a woman who provided only one name, to the Press Trust of India news agency. “People fell in a drain by the road. They started falling one on top of the other and got crushed to death.”
In response to the tragedy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced compensation of $2,400 to the families of the deceased and $600 to those injured. “My condolences are with those who have lost their loved ones… I wish for the speedy recovery of all the injured,” Modi posted on social media platform X.
President Droupadi Murmu expressed her sorrow, calling the deaths “heart-rending” and offering her “deepest condolences.” Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also extended his sympathies to the families of the victims. His office stated that an investigation had been ordered into the incident and directed district officials to expedite relief efforts.
This disaster adds to a grim history of fatal incidents at religious gatherings in India. In 2016, a banned fireworks display at a temple in Kerala state caused a massive explosion, killing at least 112 people. In 2013, a stampede at a bridge near a temple in Madhya Pradesh resulted in 115 deaths. In 2008, a stampede at a hilltop temple in Jodhpur claimed 224 lives and injured over 400 people.
The recent tragedy underscores the urgent need for better crowd management and safety measures at large religious events in India to prevent such heartbreaking losses in the future.
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