At least 116 people, including 106 women and seven children, were killed in a stampede at a religious event in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh, on Tuesday. The tragic incident occurred during a ‘satsang’ (prayer meeting) attended by thousands. Visuals from the Community Health Centre showed numerous bodies being brought in buses and tempos, accompanied by distraught relatives.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has acknowledged the incident and ordered the formation of a committee to investigate. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Droupadi Murmu expressed their condolences to the victims’ families and wished a speedy recovery for the injured. PM Modi stated that the Centre is providing all possible assistance to the Uttar Pradesh government.
Hathras District Magistrate Ashish Kumar initially reported 50-60 fatalities based on information from the community health centre, while officials in Etah district confirmed an additional 27 deaths. Later, Inspector General (Aligarh Range) Shalabh Mathur announced that the death toll had risen to 116.
The stampede occurred in Phulrai village within the Sikandra Rao police station limits of Hathras. According to District Magistrate Kumar, the event was private, and permission had been granted by the sub-divisional magistrate. While the administration arranged security, other logistical arrangements were the responsibility of the organizers.
Chief Medical Officer of Etah, Dr. Umesh Kumar Tripathi, reported receiving 27 bodies, mostly female, and noted that some injured individuals were hospitalized. Senior Superintendent of Police (Etah) Rajesh Kumar confirmed that three children were among the deceased brought to the district.
Inspector General Mathur updated that 116 deaths had been confirmed, with 27 bodies in the Etah mortuary and the remainder in Hathras, awaiting post-mortem examinations. Efforts are being made to provide the best possible treatment to the injured, and a case is being registered against the event organizers. Preliminary findings suggest the crowd exceeded the allowed capacity.
A woman who attended the ‘satsang’ mentioned it was organized to honor local guru Bhole Baba, also known as Narayan Saakar Hari. The stampede began as the crowd attempted to leave, with sources indicating that devotees were held back until the guru’s car had departed, leading to a bottleneck in a small area.
A compensation of ₹2 lakh has been announced for the families of the deceased, and ₹50,000 for the injured. Officials stated that a case will be registered against the event organizers.
In a post on X, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath directed officials to conduct relief and rescue operations urgently and ensure proper medical care for the injured. He announced that two state ministers, Laxmi Narayan Chaudhary and Sandeep Singh, along with the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police, have been dispatched to the village. The Chief Minister expressed his condolences to the bereaved families and stated that a committee headed by the Additional Director General of Police (Agra) and the Aligarh Commissioner has been established to investigate the incident.
