On 2 July 2024, a stampede at a
Hindu[1] religious event in the
Hathras district of
Uttar Pradesh, India, resulted in the deaths of 123 people, most of whom were women and children,[2][3][1][4] and the hospitalisation of at least 150 others.[5] The incident occurred during a
satsang in the village of Mughal Garhi.[6] Initial reports by police said that authorities had given permission for 80,000 people to gather but around 250,000 people turned up for the event.[7]
Background
Crowd crushes and other incidents frequently happen at religious events in India, as large crowds gather in tight spaces and have minimal adherence to safety precautions.[8] In 2018, around 60 people were killed after
a train rammed into a crowd watching celebrations for
Dusshera in
Amritsar. In 2013,
a crush at a Hindu festival in
Madhya Pradesh killed 115 people.[8]
Incident
The disaster occurred as attendees were leaving after the conclusion of a
satsang commemorating the Hindu god
Shiva[8] that was held at a makeshift tent[9] in the village of Mughal Garhi.[6] The tent was installed in a muddy paddy field located 500 meters from a highway.[10][11]
The satsang was organised by the Sri Jagar Guru Baba organisation,[12] which was founded and led by a local preacher, Suraj Pal, also known as Narayan Sakar Hari or Bhole Baba. Pal is a former constable with the
Uttar Pradesh Police and has a large following among the
Dalit community,[13][14][15] from which he hails.[16]
Initial reports stated that over 15,000 people had gathered for the event, which only had the capacity for 5,000.[17] Officials claimed the incident occurred due to heat, overcrowding, and a strong dust storm that caused people to panic.[1][17] The exit from the venue was said to have been too narrow.[18] Reports suggest that the stampede started when people pushed each other to get a glimpse of Pal and others tried to collect the soil or dirt around his feet.[19][20] Other reports suggest that attendees were blocked so that Pal and his group would be able to exit first.[21][22] Some of the victims were believed to have fallen into a roadside drain during the commotion,[17] while other victims were crushed as they were sitting or squatting on the ground.[23]
The stampede killed 123 people, including 112 women and seven children.[2][24] A responding police officer also died of a heart attack caused by distress after he encountered the bodies of multiple victims who were taken to a hospital in
Etah.[25]
Investigation
According to the
FIR lodged by the police, authorities had given permission for 80,000 people to gather for the event, but around 250,000 people turned up to attend the occasion. The disaster caused outrage in India and led to questions about lapses in safety measures. Police registered a case against a man they said was the event's main organiser and a few others on several charges, including culpable homicide. Pal is believed to be hiding in his
ashram in
Mainpuri.[23][10] A lawyer for Pal said that he denied responsibility for the disaster and attributed it to "anti-social elements", while saying that a "criminal conspiracy" was being brought against him. He added that Pal would cooperate with the police investigation.[26] Six of Pal’s aides were arrested in connection with the disaster.[27]
Aftermath
Yogi Adityanath, chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, indicated that each of the families of the dead would receive
₹200,000 in financial assistance (approximately US$2,400, or about 15 months of minimum-waged skilled labour in the district or seven months' worth of the country's median wage),[28][29] while those injured would receive ₹50,000.[30] He also instructed officials to investigate the causes of the incident.[31]
President
Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister
Narendra Modi expressed condolences over the disaster.[17] The ambassadors of China, France and Germany also expressed condolences.[32]