Hathras (Uttar Pradesh): In one of the worst tragedies in recent years, 121 people - 113 women, seven children and a man - were killed in a stampede at a religious congregation here on Tuesday as devotees suffocated to their deaths and bodies piled atop each other.
Of the 121 victims, 72 have been identified so far even as the post-mortem of the bodies is being held at Agra, Etah, Kasganj and Aligarh, officials said. The exact cause of the stampede is still under investigation.
The victims were part of the crowd of thousands that had gathered near Phulrai village in the Sikandrarau area for the 'satsang' by religious preacher Bhole Baba. The stampede took place at around 3.30 pm when Baba was leaving the venue. Police conducted search operations at Ram Kutir Charitable Trust in Mainpuri district for Baba, who is on the run after the incident.
"Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed district officials to ensure the injured persons are hospitalised promptly and to expedite relief efforts.
He has also ordered a thorough probe into the incident to determine the underlying causes and prevent such tragedies in the future.
Sakar Vishwa Hari Bhole Baba, formerly known as Saurabh Kumar, had previously served in the Intelligence Department of Uttar Pradesh Police. After 17 years of service, he quit his job to embark on a spiritual journey as a preacher. He is often seen giving lessons in a white suit and tie. He organises satsang programmes with his wife and is also known as 'Sakar Vishwa Hari Baba of Patiali'.
While his following extends beyond Uttar Pradesh to Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, the preacher and his acolytes maintain a distance from the media and also the social media.
According to a devotee, Bhole Baba had no religious mentor and soon after he took voluntary retirement from service, he had a 'vision' of the deity and since then he became inclined to spiritual pursuits.
He used to hold his satsangs every Tuesday and before Hathras, he held a similar event in Mainpuri district last week.
He courted controversy during the COVID-19 pandemic period when he sought permission for a satsang in Farrukhabad district in May 2022 to be attended by only 50 people.
However, the congregation grew to more than 50,000, causing a major problem for the local administration.
The Prime Minister's Office announced an ex-gratia compensation of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund for the next of kin of each person killed in the stampede. The injured will be given Rs 50,000. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath made a similar announcement.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in a post on X said he was deeply distressed by the tragic incident. "Deeply distressed by the tragic loss of lives in a stampede in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh. Sincere condolences to the bereaved families. Pray for the speedy recovery of the injured," he wrote on the social media platform.
(With PTI, IANS inputs)