A tragic stampede at a religious event in northern India claimed the lives of at least 116 people, with many others injured. The incident occurred during a gathering to see Bhole Baba, a revered guru, where overcrowding inside a large tent led to chaos. Witnesses described people falling over each other as they tried to exit after the ceremony, with some suggesting a rush towards the guru himself. Despite efforts to rescue those trapped, the stampede resulted in fatalities, prompting an investigation into the causes.
A stampede during a huge religious festival in northern India killed at least 116 people and injured dozens more, including many women and children.
Following a preliminary inquiry, Indian police have cited overcrowding at a massive homemade tent where thousands of people gathered to visit a guru known as Bhole Baba, also known as Narayan Sakar Hari.
According to local sources, heat and suffocation inside the tent could have been contributing factors. Local town officials granted authorization for the event to welcome 5,000 people, however, up to 15,000 individuals may attend. It occurred in India’s Hathras district, which is around 350 kilometers south of the regional capital of Lucknow.
The Associated Press reports that:
“People started falling one upon another, one upon another. Those who were crushed died. People there pulled them out,” witness Shakuntala Devi told the Press Trust of India news agency.
Bodies were brought to hospitals and morgues by trucks and private vehicles, government official Matadin Saroj said.
The religious service had just ended and many were entering the tent, but according to one regional source, the throng was stopped by a security detail to let Bhole Baba and his entourage leave first. However, at that point, people rushed toward him since seeing a ‘holy man’ is considered a type of blessing in Hindu culture.
According to the video, the entire tent structure collapsed during the stampede, but the preacher survived and is now claimed to be hiding.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed sympathies to the relatives of the fatalities and stated that a federal emergency response is being prepared. The official death toll continued to rise hours after the tragedy.
Another regional government official described it as “extremely sad and heart-wrenching” and promised an immediate inquiry.
Over the years, India has had multiple mass atrocity stampedes, most of which occurred at religious festivals that became overcrowded with pilgrims. In 2013, for example, 115 people in central Madhya Pradesh were crushed or drowned in a nearby river following a stampede caused by a bridge.
There are many questions about Bhole Baba, a self-appointed ‘godman’. Some stories express fury, claiming that he was partially responsible for the overcrowding.
According to Indian media, he purportedly resigned from his government job 26 years ago to begin delivering religious speeches. Today, he has millions of followers throughout India, including western Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Delhi.”
“Notably, unlike many modern religious figures, Bhole Baba stays away from social media and does not have any official accounts on any platform,” India Today details. “His followers claim that his influence is substantial at the grassroots level.” He is often seen delivering sermons with his wife. Many of his followers believe he is God incarnate.
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