At least 50 people have been killed and dozens more injured in a stampede at a religious event in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh where thousands of worshippers had gathered.
Ashish Kumar, district magistrate in Hathras, the city in western Uttar Pradesh where the incident occurred, told reporters at the scene that most of the dead so far were women and children who appeared to have suffocated in the rush to leave the site. Local officials blamed high temperatures and overcrowding for the panic.
“Near the end of the ceremony, when the devotees were about to leave, the incident occurred due to very high humidity,” said Mr. Kumar.
Umesh Kumar Tripathi, a health official in the neighbouring Etah district of western Uttar Pradesh, said more victims were being taken to other hospitals.
“The death toll could rise,” Mr Tripathi said.
Not verified video Social media posts showed a large number of dead bodies, mostly women, in the courtyard of what appeared to be a government building.
The event, a large Hindu prayer meeting, was organized by a local guru named Bhole Baba, who had led such gatherings for more than two decades. The riot broke out at the end of the meeting.
In India, deadly stampedes during religious pilgrimages are common due to poor enforcement of public safety measures. In recent years, authorities have stepped up surveillance of large religious gatherings by deploying more police and using drones.
Hari Kumar And Mujib Mashal Contribute report.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
