At least 50 people were killed and dozens injured in a stampede during a religious event in Uttar Pradesh's Uttar Pradesh where thousands of devotees had gathered.
Ashish Kumar, the district magistrate of Hathras town in western Uttar Pradesh, where the incident occurred, told reporters at the scene that most of the dead so far were women and children who suffocated to death in the rush to flee the scene. Local officials suggested heat and overcrowding caused the stampede.
“The incident occurred due to high humidity when devotees were leaving at the end of the ceremony,” Mr Kumar said.
Umesh Kumar Tripathi, medical officer in neighbouring Etah district in western Uttar Pradesh, said more victims were being brought to other hospitals.
“The death toll may increase,” Mr Tripathi said.
Unverified Video Videos viral on social media showed a large number of bodies, mostly women, lying in the courtyard of what appeared to be a government building.
The event was a large Hindu prayer meeting, organised by a guru known locally as Bhole Baba, who has been leading such gatherings for more than two decades. There was a commotion at the end of the meeting.
Deadly stampedes are common during religious pilgrimages in India due to poor implementation of public safety measures. In recent years, authorities have increased surveillance of large religious gatherings by deploying more police officers and using drones.
Hari Kumar And mujib torch Contributed reporting.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
