A large crowd had gathered on Tuesday in a village in Uttar Pradesh state’s Hathras district for a sermon by a preacher but a fierce dust storm sparked panic as people were leaving.
Many were crushed or trampled, falling on top of each other, with some collapsing into a roadside drain in the chaos.
“We have confirmed 97 deaths so far and are focusing on providing relief and medical aid for the victims,” Chaitra V, divisional commissioner of neighbouring Aligarh district, told the AFP news agency.
Also read: Rahul Gandhi recites Durood on Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) during Lok Sabha address
“The attendees were exiting the venue when a dust storm blinded their vision, leading to a melee and the subsequent tragic incident,” she said.
Most of the dead were women, according to state chief medical officer Umesh Kumar Tripathi, who told reporters “many injured” have been admitted to hospital.
The stampede occurred as attendees rushed to leave following the event with a religious leader named Bhole Baba, local media reported.
Police officer Rajesh Singh said overcrowding may have been a factor. Initial reports suggested that over 15,000 people had gathered for the event, which had permission to host about 5,000.
Wailing women and crying men gathered outside one mortuary in the town of Etah, where many of the dead were taken, seeking news of their relatives.
One survivor, Jyoti, who goes only by her first name, told local media that the stampede happened quickly as soon as the event ended.
“Everyone was in a rush to leave … There was no way out and people were falling on each other,” she said.
“When the sermon finished, everyone started running out,” Shakuntala, another woman who gave only one name, told the Press Trust of India news agency.
State Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has ordered an investigation into the incident.
“Instructions have been given to the concerned officials to conduct relief and rescue operations on war footing and to provide proper treatment to the injured,” he wrote on X.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced compensation of $2,400 to the next of kin of those who died and $600 to those injured in the “tragic incident”.
“My condolences are with those who have lost their loved ones… I wish for the speedy recovery of all the injured,” Modi wrote on social media platform X.
President Droupadi Murmu said the deaths were “heart-rending” and offered her “deepest condolences”.
SOURCE: Al Jazeera and news agencies
