The stampede in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh, on Tuesday that claimed the lives of 121 people appears to have been caused by an overabundance of 2.5 lakh devotees, high humidity, slick ground, stopping female devotees to allow Bhole Baba’s convoy to pass, and the desperation of the women to touch the godman’s feet and gather soil from the ground he had walked on. The organizers appear to have mismanaged the situation.
The majority of the deceased are women who were crushed underfoot when the self-proclaimed godman’s satsang came to an end and his entourage departed from the Hathras location. People gathered on both sides of the channel that the organizers had attempted to establish to allow the procession of luxury automobiles to exit the event.
When the caravan passed, a large number of ladies were stopped by the Baba’s staff so they could gather soil off the ground or just come into contact with the Baba’s vehicle.
Local authorities on the scene claim that the rush was caused by this disturbance. Given the intense humidity and suffocating heat, the audience was eager to get out of the theater and into the buses that would take them home. The state DGP and Chief Secretary are camped out at the scene till a thorough investigation is conducted.
The event occurred about 2:00 pm, and the devotees came from several states and districts, including Haryana. Only 80,000 individuals were allowed to attend the event, but 2.5 lakh people showed up, according to the FIR.
“The organizers completely failed in their role. When the “Satsang” was over, Bhole Baba’s troops cleared the throng so his convoy could pass. The stampede was caused by a surge that accumulated on both sides of the convoy path. When the “Satsang” ended, the throng was likewise excited to get back on busses as soon as possible. In addition to the excessive humidity, the rain had left the ground uneven and slick. The catastrophe was essentially caused by all of this plus the organizers’ poor handling of the large crowd, a top official told News18.
During the investigation, the participation of the local government is also being examined, particularly the issue of insufficient police deployment. Local sources claim that a lot of ladies chased after Baba’s automobile in an attempt to touch it or just have sight of him, which caused more disturbance. Additionally, the enormous rush at the venue exceeded the administration-imposed legal limit, making it impossible for the local intelligence unit to estimate. Amidst the massive influx of injured people brought in following the disaster, hospitals had difficulties. Yogi Adityanath, the chief minister, has vowed to punish anyone found guilty of carelessness at the location with severe consequences.
