Hathras (Uttar Pradesh): In a tragic turn of events during a satsang gathering in Ratibhanpur Mughal Garhi in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras, chaos ensued leading to a stampede that claimed at least 121 lives and left many injured.
The incident occurred amidst a gathering reportedly exceeding two lakh people, a stark contrast to the sanctioned limit of just 80,000 attendees. The stampede was attributed to a surge of women devotees attempting to touch Bhole Baba's feet.
Authorities, including Hathras District Magistrate Ashish Kumar and Agra Zone ADG Anupam Kulshreshtha, acknowledged the preliminary cause as a stampede.
Talking to the media, ADG Kulshreshtha recounted accounts from witnesses suggesting that the rush to seek blessings from Bhole Baba led to some individuals slipping on waterlogged ground, triggering a chain reaction of falls and ultimately a stampede.
Questions loom over the administrative oversight that permitted such a massive gathering in violation of the approved attendance limit. Cabinet Minister Lakshmi Narayan Chaudhary, who visited the site post-incident, vowed stringent action against those found responsible for any lapses identified during the investigation.
Local intelligence failures have also come under scrutiny, with concerns raised about whether adequate precautions were in place to manage the unexpectedly large crowd. The discrepancy between the sanctioned and actual attendance figures has sparked public outrage and demands for accountability from both local officials and law enforcement agencies.
Efforts to address the aftermath of the tragedy have included medical assistance to the injured and efforts to identify the deceased. The scale of the incident has prompted a broader review of event management protocols and security measures during public gatherings across Uttar Pradesh.
