Tuesday, July 02, 2024 - Dozens of worshippers have been crushed to death at a Hindu religious gathering in northern India, government medics have said.
The death toll has risen to 87, Indian news site NDTV
reports, citing officials.
More have been injured and there are fears the death toll
could increase further.
According to Mail Online, the crowds had gathered to
celebrate the Hindu deity Shiva in the town of Sikandra Kao, Uttar Pradesh
state, some 120 miles (200km) southeast of New Delhi.
'I can't give the exact toll at the moment, but it is
approximately 60... There is a possibility that the toll may go up,' district
police spokesperson Manish Chikara said.
State Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said his thoughts were
with the bereaved families and he ordered an urgent investigation into the
incident.
'Instructions have been given to the concerned officials to
conduct relief and rescue operations on war footing and to provide proper
treatment to the injured,' he wrote on X.
Hathras District Magistrate Ashish Kumar said that,
according to numbers received from the community health centre, between 50 and
60 people were killed.
'The stampede broke out in a village within the Sikandra Rao
police station limits in Hathras. The injured are being taken to hospitals,' he
said.
He added: 'This was a private event and permission had been
given by the sub-divisional magistrate.
'Security arrangements were made by the administration but
the other arrangements were supposed to be made by the organisers,' Mr Kumar
said.
Umesh Kumar Tripathi, chief medical officer, said many
injured have been admitted to hospital and added: 'The primary reason is a
stampede during a religious event.'
He previously told reporters that 27 people had been killed,
of whom 25 were women and two were men.
Uttar Pradesh state senior medical officer Ram Mohan Tiwari
said earlier: 'We have received 27 bodies so far... bodies are still coming.'
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