At least 116 people killed in crush at religious event in India, say local police

Aishwarya S Iyer, Mariya Knight and Sugam Pokharel, CNN

NEW DELHI, India (CNN) —More than a 100 group were killed successful a crush astatine a belief gathering successful India’s bluish authorities of Uttar Pradesh connected Tuesday, according to section constabulary and management officials.

The incident happened astatine a dream meeting, known arsenic a satsang, successful nan Mughal Garhi colony successful nan Hathras territory of Uttar Pradesh, officials said. The colony successful India’s most populous authorities is astir 200 kilometers (124 miles) southeast of nan capital, New Delhi.

Among nan 116 killed were 108 women and seven children, the state’s Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Singh told reporters. About 72 group person been identified truthful far, he added. At slightest 18 group were injured.

Local officials person suggested that overcrowding was nan origin of nan crush, which saw group tumble into a sewer.

Singh told reporters that nan organizers of Tuesday’s gathering had revenge an exertion that said “an estimated 80,000 people” were expected to attend. However, “a batch much group than expected” showed up.

The deadly scenes happened aft nan arena had finished, erstwhile a ample number of group went “to touch nan feet (of nan belief figure) aliases to cod ungraded from nan venue,” arsenic per section tradition. People past began to autumn into an unfastened sewer nearby. “People started falling into nan sewer and connected apical of each other,” Singh said.

He accused nan organizers of failing to comply pinch a database of requirements fixed by nan district. A high-level enquiry has been launched to analyse nan circumstances surrounding nan incident and a constabulary study will beryllium revenge against nan arena organizers for allegedly exceeding permitted attendance levels, according to section officials.

“There has been a awesome lapse connected nan portion of nan organizers. They will look a strict punishment,” he said.

Survivors said of nan harrowing incident successful its aftermath. “People started falling 1 upon another, 1 upon another. Those who were crushed died. People location pulled them out,” Shakuntala Devi told nan Press Trust of India news agency, according to Associated Press.

The bodies of astatine slightest 27 of nan dormant were taken to Etah territory mortuary, according to Inspector General Shalabh Mathur, of nan neighboring territory Ambala Range, while nan remainder of nan bodies are successful Hathras, he said.

Efforts are underway to supply nan injured pinch aesculapian attraction and arrangements are being made for post-mortem examinations astatine various locations, Inspector General Mathur added.

A video distributed by Reuters showed crowds gathering extracurricular a section infirmary successful Etah, wherever distraught families cried for nan victims. Medical unit could beryllium seen carrying group connected stretchers.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences successful an reside successful nan little location of India’s bicameral parliament known arsenic nan Lok Sabha.

Modi said nan authorities is engaged successful “relief and rescue work” and is coordinating pinch nan authorities government. “The victims will beryllium helped successful each way,” he said.

Speaking to reporters, Ashish Kumar, the territory magistrate of Hathras, said nan crush happened arsenic group were leaving nan event, which was held to observe nan Hindu deity Shiva.

The territory magistrate said constabulary had fixed support for nan backstage arena and officials were “put connected work for attraction of rule and order and security,” but arrangements wrong were handled by nan organizers.

An investigation into nan incident will beryllium conducted by a recently formed high-level committee, he added.

A caller year’s crush successful January 2022 astatine 1 of India’s holiest shrines successful Jammu, successful nan northbound of nan country, killed astatine slightest a twelve people.

This communicative has been updated pinch further information.