Several dead after mass panic in India

Mass panic erupted at a religious event in northern India. According to initial reports, more than 100 people were killed in a stampede in a village in Uttar Pradesh state.

Several people have been killed in a mass panic during a Hindu event in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. More than 100 people have died, according to the Associated Press and Agence France-Presse. Most of the victims were women and children, said Rajkumar Agarwal, a medical official.

The incident took place in a village in Hathras district, about 200 km southeast of the capital New Delhi. According to the regional administration, thousands of people had gathered there for prayers and a sermon. A local teacher had organised the meeting in a tent. Chitra V, of the Uttar Pradesh regional administration, said some people fainted due to the high humidity. When people tried to rush out of the tent, some of them fell, leading to mass panic.

Order to investigate

Reportedly, more than 15,000 people were at the venue, though only about 5,000 were admitted. The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister has formed a committee of senior police and administrative officials to investigate the incident. Police have registered a complaint and are now searching for Guru Narayan Sakar Hari, also known as Bhol Baba. His aide told India Today TV that permission had been obtained for the meeting, but the number of people who turned up was more than expected.

In India, deadly incidents occur repeatedly on the sidelines of religious events. In 2016, at least 112 people were killed by banned fireworks at a temple complex in Kerala. In 2013, 115 devotees were killed in a stampede on a bridge near a temple in Madhya Pradesh. Also in 2008, more than 220 pilgrims died in a stampede at a temple in the northern city of Jodhpur.