The death toll from the stampede that occurred during a religious gathering in Hathras district, Uttar Pradesh, has now reached 121, officials confirmed. The tragic event, which took place on Tuesday, also left 28 people injured, the Office of the Relief Commissioner announced on Wednesday.
Injury Report
Of the 28 injured individuals, six are being treated at Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College in Aligarh, another six at Deen Dayal Hospital in Aligarh, nine at Bagla Hospital in Hathras, one at Agra SN Medical College, and six at Etah Medical College in Hathras.
Search for Preacher Bhole Baba
Uttar Pradesh police are currently searching for Narayan Saakar Hari, also known as Bhole Baba, the preacher at the 'Satsang' event where the stampede occurred. Deputy SP Sunil Kumar stated, "We did not find Baba ji inside the campus. He is not here."
FIR Against Event Organizers
An FIR has been filed against the organizers of the event. 'Mukhya Sewadar' Devprakash Madhukar and other organizers are named in the case, which was registered at Sikandara Rao police station on Tuesday night.
Eyewitness Account
Shakuntala Devi, an eyewitness, described the chaos: "There was a Satsang of Bhole Baba going on. Right after the Satsang finished, several people started coming out from there. A stampede took place as the road was uneven and people fell on each other."
Chief Minister Calls for Investigation
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has called for a thorough investigation to determine if the incident was an accident or a conspiracy. He remarked, "Doing politics instead of expressing condolences on such an incident is extremely unfortunate and condemnable. The government is already sensitive in this matter and will get to the bottom of whether this is an accident or a conspiracy, and give appropriate punishment to all those responsible."
A forensic team, along with a dog squad, has arrived at the site to collect evidence. The Chief Minister has formed a team, led by Additional DG Agra, to provide a detailed report on the incident.
Details of the Incident
The stampede occurred around 3:30 PM on Tuesday near Phulrai village in the Sikandrarau area, when the crowd, gathered for a 'Satsang' by Bhole Baba, began to exit the venue. Of the 121 deceased, 19 victims are yet to be identified. Most of the casualties were women, with the exception of seven children and one man. Earlier, Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Singh had reported the death toll at 116.
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