Pictures grabbed from TV news channel
Hathras, Uttar Pradesh today witnessed a huge tragedy where in a religious congregation more than 116 devotees died brutally in a stampede and several injured.
The tragedy occured in a Samagam ” a religious congregation where more than a lakh people / devotees of a self styled spiritual Guru Mr. Narayan Hari aka Bhole baba , now absconding, earlier working in police , 17 years ago, were keenly gathered to hear his discourse.
After the Guru finished his discourse and was leaving the venue, all of a sudden hundreds of disciples thronged behind him to touch his feet followed by hundreds of others from behind crushing the children, women, youths n old under them and the trend continued. There is another news that the tragedy occured when thousands of devotees were stopped to clear the way for Bhole baba who was leaving the venue. Several teams have been made and sent to different locations to trap him. Several policemen have also been stationed outside the Etah Ashram where there is a possibility of the Bhole baba probably being there.
There was panic and boisterous scenes all around with people crying and their traumatic voice heard by all those present at the tragic site, seeking help.
The area where this tragedy occured was wet due to rain and completely muddy with people crushed on the wet muddy earth by hundreds of those coming from behind desperately, trying to touch the feet of the religious guru.
Till now 116 devotees which include children and people of all ages , men and women, girls, boys etc have died with several others injured.
About ten bodies have been sent for post mortem at the time of writing the news.
According to the news the tragedy occured at around 1-30 to 2.00 in the afternoon and the police arrangement at the venue was minimal probably 40 policemen looking after the arrangements at the Samagam venue where about a lakh people had gathered. This strength of police to maintain law and order wasn’t enough. There were good number of bodyguards for the safety of the religious guru known as Bhole baba ” Narayan”, who is now absconding and the police in search of him.
The Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath would be visiting the tragedy site tomorrow. He assured that the guilty would not be spared at any cost and angle of conspiracy behind this tragedy if any , would be probed deeply.
The Chief Secretary UP and DGP Prashant Kumar have reached Hathras on the instruction of the chief minister Yogi Adityanath.
The prime minister Narendra Modi has expressed his deepest condolences over this massive tragedy and announced the ex gratia of Rs two lakhs to each of the dead and Rs 50000 for the injured. Similarly the UP CM Yogi Adityanath too has announced the same amount as ex gratia to the families of the deceased and to the injured i.e. Rs. Two lakhs and Rs 50 thousand to the each dead n injured respectively.
The Droupadi Murmu while expressing her deepest condolences on the tragedy at Hathras said : The news of the death of many devotees including women and children in the accident in Hathras district of Uttar Pradesh is heart-rending. I express my deepest condolences to those who lost their family members and pray for the speedy recovery of those injured write the President on X.
The union home minister Amit Shah wrote in X : I am deeply saddened by the tragic accident in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh. I express my condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in this accident. May God give them strength to bear this pain. The local administration is engaged in relief work. I wish for the speedy recovery of the injured.
The Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge while expressing his grief over the 116 deaths st Hathras write on X : The news of the death of many devotees due to stampede in the Satsang in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh is extremely painful. The scenes of the accident are extremely heart-rending.
We express our deepest condolences to the bereaved families. We urge the government and administration to leave no stone unturned in treating the injured and provide immediate compensation to the victims.
Workers of opposition parties are requested to provide all possible help to the people affected by the accident.
The leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi while expressing his deepest condolences wrote in X :
Rahul Gandhi
The news of the death of many devotees due to the stampede during the satsang in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh is extremely painful.
I express my deepest condolences to all the bereaved families and hope for the speedy recovery of the injured.
The government and administration are requested to provide every possible treatment to the injured and relief to the affected families.
All workers of India are requested to provide their cooperation in relief and rescue.
The Commissioner of Aligarh V.Chaitra said that an enquiry has been ordered into the incident . DM Hathras Ashish Kumar , ADG Anupama n several officers wre at the tragedy venue looking after the post Samagam arrangement. The tragedy was so huge that one constable Ravi Kumar suffered a heart attack n died in the spot.
IT may be recalled that this Self Styled Bhole BABA was in police force 17 years ago having also served in Intelligence and specially cell etc. He left the service of police, 17 years ago and started addressing religious congregations at various localities finally addressing large congregations as the ine held at Hathras.
