A tragic stampede during a Hindu religious event in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh has left more than 100 people dead, mostly women and children who appeared to have suffocated in a rush to leave the venue. The incident took place in Hathras, where thousands of devotees had gathered for a prayer meeting organized by a local guru known as Bhole Baba. Witnesses reported that heat and overcrowding caused panic, leading to people falling into a drainage ditch on top of each other. Initial reports indicated that the crowd was much larger than the permitted 5,000 people for the event.
More than 150 people have been hospitalized, with fears that the death toll may rise. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has promised relief and rescue efforts for the victims, while Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has ordered an investigation into the cause of the stampede. In India, stampedes during religious events are unfortunately common due to poor enforcement of public safety measures. The incident in Hathras is one of the deadliest in recent years, following a similar tragedy in Madhya Pradesh in 2013.
Experts and officials have criticized the lack of a sensitive approach toward crowd management in such large gatherings, calling for better measures to prevent such tragedies from happening again in the future. Stampedes are a recurring issue in India during religious pilgrimages, highlighting the need for stricter safety protocols and better crowd control strategies to ensure the safety of attendees at these events.
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