In the Hathras area of Uttar Pradesh, a stampede at a religious gathering resulted in the terrible loss of at least 60 lives and several injuries.
The incident happened quite quickly on Tuesday night after the spiritual guru Bhole Baba, who lives about 200 miles southeast of New Delhi, concluded an event.
Coping with the aftermath, authorities have verified that thousands of spectators rushed out of the stadium, causing a stampede. Concerns over crowding were heightened by early reports that the event had attracted over 15,000 attendees even though only 5,000 were allowed.
Witnesses described a horrifying scene of turmoil and desperation as people in a panic tried to make their way through the swarming throng.
A survivor named Jyoti told the local media about the event and described a chaotic scene where people were falling on top of each other with nowhere to run.
Unverified videos that went viral on social media showed a horrifying image of victims lying about outside of nearby hospitals, where the injured were being sent for immediate medical attention. On the orders of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the district government has begun a comprehensive investigation into the events that preceded the tragedy.
Unfortunately, stampedes and fatal incidents at religious gatherings are not uncommon in India; these incidents are frequently ascribed to insufficient crowd management procedures at significant festivals and events.
