Hathras: Dozens killed in stampede at religious event in India

At least 27 people, mostly women, have been killed in northern India in a stampede at a religious gathering, officials have said.

The incident took place at a satsang (a Hindu religious event) in Hathras district in Uttar Pradesh state, a senior police official said.

The victims include 23 women and three children, he said, adding that the bodies were yet to be identified.

It’s not clear yet what led to the stampede.

A police source told the BBC that the death toll was likely to increase.

The crowd had gathered for an event to celebrate the Hindu deity Shiva in Mughalgarhi village.

A video shared by news agency PTI showed the wounded being brought to a hospital for treatment.

“Procedure of post-mortem is underway and the matter is being investigated,” official Satya Prakash in the neighbouring district of Etah said.

Distressing visuals from the site of the accident are being circulated online.

Some videos showed the injured being taken to hospitals in pick-up trucks, tuk tuks and even motorbikes. A clip seen by the BBC showed several bodies left at the entrance of a local hospital as relatives screamed for help.

Accidents are routinely reported at religious events in India, as huge crowds gather in tight spaces with little adherence to safety measures.

In 2018, around 60 people were killed after a train rammed into a crowd watching celebrations for Dusshera, a Hindu festival.

In 2013, a stampede at a Hindu festival in the central state of Madhya Pradesh had killed 115 people.

Additional reporting by Abhishek Mathur in Hathras