There are now 121 people dead from a stampede at a Hindu religious gathering in northern India, 108 of whom are women and seven of whom are children.
A police investigation stated that there were three times as many people present than was permitted, according to Reuters.
Tuesday’s stampede happened in a village in the Uttar Pradesh state’s Hathras area, around 200 kilometers southeast of New Delhi.
According to accounts, only about 250,000 people showed up for the event despite the authorities having authorized 80,000 people to congregate.
The event happened while ‘Bhole Baba,’ the religious preacher, was driving away in his automobile. Shouting his name, thousands of devotees surged behind the car, toppling over the people seated.
Additionally, a few individuals stumbled into a nearby slush and mud field, where they were trampled.
The preacher is being sought after by the authorities, according to the local media.
Witnesses to the incident said that when they plummeted down a slope into a ditch filled with water, they fell on top of each other.
During India’s main religious festivals, which draw millions of followers to pilgrimage destinations, deadly occurrences frequently occur at places of worship.
“Everyone—the entire crowd, including women and children—left from the event site at once,” stated Sheela Maurya, an on-duty police officer.Everyone just piled on top of one another since there wasn’t enough room.”
