PEOPLE fell on each other as they tried to touch the feet of a godman at a 'satsang' (prayer meeting), resulting in a massive stampede tragedy that killed 121 people, including women and children, in Hathras in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday (2), according to an eyewitness, India Today reported.
The area was also slippery due to water overflowing from a nearby drain, exacerbating the tragedy, the report added.
The victims and the injured were part of a huge crowd of thousands that had gathered near Phulrai village in the Sikandra Rao area of Hathras district of the state, which is India's most populous, for the 'satsang' by preacher Sakar Vishwa Hari Bhole Baba.
Read: In India's UP, 121 dead in stampede at religious event; president condoles
Scores of bodies were lying on ice blocks inside a local government hospital, as mourning relatives of the victims waited to take mortal remains back home.
The incident happened after the conclusion of the 'satsang' as the preacher left with people running after his vehicle to seek his blessings and even collect 'sacred' soil from around his feet, the India Today report added.
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A senior police officer told Asian News International that they were looking for the godman who is still at large.
Known for his controversial 'satsangs', Bhole Baba also has a history of legal issues, including charges of sexual assault. However, he continues to command a big following despite multiple cases filed against him in various places in Uttar Pradesh and its neighbouring Rajasthan, NDTV reported.
Manoj Kumar Singh, chief secretary of Uttar Pradesh, told Press Trust of India that overcrowding was one of the reasons that led to such a tragedy. According to him, an application given by the event's organisers seeking permission to hold it put the number of devotees at 80,000 but the actual number was higher. According to one report, nearly 250,000 people were present at the 'satsang'.
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday (3) visited Hathras and met those injured in the stampede and undergoing treatment at the hospital. On the day of the incident, he vowed that his government would get to the bottom of the incident and give appropriate punishment to those who were responsible. He also said a probe was underway to ensure whether it was an accident or conspiracy.
One opposition MP from Uttar Pradesh slammed the state's Bharatiya Janata Party accusing it of turning the stamping episode into a Hindu-Muslim issue and alleged that Adityanath's intention was not right.
Meanwhile, German, Chinese and French envoys in India mourned the loss of lives and extended condolences to the victims' families.
Taking to X, the envoys also wished the injured a speedy recovery.
(With agency inputs)
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