A crush broke out in a crowd during a meeting with a religious guru in northern India, killing at least 116 people and injuring dozens, Indian media reported.
The crush began when hundreds of people suddenly rushed out of a tent after an event with Hindu guru Bhole Baba (a former police officer who “found light” and became a religious figure) in the state of Uttar Pradesh in northern India. It was initially thought that heat and suffocation in the tent may have been the cause, but a video of the aftermath showed that the structure collapsed.
The state’s director general of police, Prashant Kumar, said at least 116 people had died, most of them women and children. Senior police officer Shalaba Mathura clarified that more than 80 people were injured and hospitalised. Suresh Chandra, a witness who was at the gathering, told local media:
“There must have been about 50,000 people… at the gate on the highway, some people were going left and some people were going right, the stampede was caused in that confusion.”
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences to the families of the victims and promised to help those who were injured.
Dangerous festivals of India
India, a country with a rich history and deep religious traditions, often witnesses tragic events involving crushes at mass religious events. In 2013, more than 70 people died in a stampede at the Kumbh Mela festival in the city of Allahabad. The cause of the tragedy was the huge number of pilgrims trying to pass through a narrow bridge.
Two years later, more than 20 people died in a crush at the Holi festival, where Indians celebrate the victory of good over evil by throwing colourful powders at each other. In 2022, during the Durga Puja festival, where Indians celebrate the victory of the goddess Durga over the demon Mahishasura, more than 10 people died in the city of Kolkata. Panic broke out in the crowd when someone threw a firecracker.
