A tragic stampede occurred during a religious congregation in Hathras district, Uttar Pradesh, on Tuesday, leading to the deaths of several people, including women and children, according to officials.
The incident took place in Mughalgarhi village during a religious event. Visuals from the Community Health Centre depicted a heartbreaking scene, with multiple bodies being brought in as grieving relatives looked on.
Locals blaming the administration and police. #HatrasStampedepic.twitter.com/Yh6ZBa5zP3
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Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has initiated an investigation into the incident. The probe committee will include ADG Agra and Commissioner Aligarh to uncover the circumstances leading to the tragedy.
A district official later reported that between 116 individuals were believed to have lost their lives, based on updates from the hospital. Victims, whether deceased or unconscious, were transported to the Sikandara Rao Trauma Centre in trucks and other vehicles.
Heart-wrenching images showed bodies laid out outside the health centre, surrounded by distraught onlookers.
One particularly moving video showed a woman weeping amidst several bodies in a truck, while another image captured a man and a woman lying lifeless in a vehicle.
Eyewitness Shakuntala Devi recounted to PTI Videos that the stampede occurred as people were leaving the venue at the conclusion of the ‘satsang’. “They fell atop each other,” she explained.
Akhilesh Yadav, the president of Samajvadi Party, Uttar Pradesh’s main opposition party has demanded an action into the incident.