Hathras Stampede Tragedy: Over 100 Dead - A Look At India’s Deadliest Stampedes Over The Years

A religious event in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh, turned tragic as a stampede killed at least 116 people. Triggered by a dust storm, the chaos ensued during a sermon by Narayan Saakar Hari, highlighting the need for better crowd management at such gatherings.

At least 116 people were tragically killed, and many more injured, in a stampede that occurred on Tuesday evening during a religious gathering in Hathras district, Uttar Pradesh.

The incident took place in a village where a large crowd had assembled for a sermon by the popular preacher Narayan Saakar Hari, also known as 'Bhole Baba', as reported by Hindustan Times.

Photo Credit: PTI

Hathras Stampede - Everything You Need To Know

The stampede led to chaotic scenes as distraught relatives mourned outside Sikandrarao Hospital in Hathras, approximately 350 kilometres southwest of Lucknow. Eyewitness accounts revealed that the chaos began as attendees were exiting the venue. A sudden dust storm severely impaired visibility, triggering panic and resulting in the fatal stampede.

Chaitra V., the divisional commissioner of Aligarh city in Uttar Pradesh, confirmed the series of events leading to the tragedy, as reported by Hindustan Times. However, one eyewitness provided a different account, suggesting that the stampede was caused by the followers of Bhole Baba rushing to collect "raj" (dust) from the ground over which the preacher's vehicle had passed as he left the venue.

The aftermath saw a heartbreaking scene of many being trampled or falling into a roadside drain, with lines of ambulances ferrying the injured to hospitals. Outside a mortuary in the town of Etah, where many victims were taken, anguished families gathered, hoping for news about their loved ones.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed his condolences and directed district officials to ensure that the injured receive immediate medical care and to expedite relief efforts at the site of the tragedy.

Deadly incidents at religious gatherings are not uncommon in India, often resulting from poor crowd management and safety lapses. Historical records of such incidents underscore the recurring nature of these tragedies, as per Hindustan Times report.

Here is a list of major stampedes in India over the years, many occurring at religious festivals or gatherings:

- January 2005: Over 340 devotees were trampled to death, and hundreds more were injured during an annual pilgrimage at Mandhardevi Temple in Maharashtra's Satara district. The stampede was triggered by slippery steps leading up to the temple.

- August 2008: Approximately 145 Hindu pilgrims died after rumours of a landslide led to a stampede at the Naina Devi Temple in Himachal Pradesh.

- September 2008: A total of 224 people lost their lives at the Chamunda Devi Temple in Rajasthan during the Navratri festival, triggered by rumors of a bomb explosion at the temple in Jodhpur city.

- March 2010: At least 63 people, more than half of them children, died in a stampede caused by a massive rush for free food and clothes from a self-styled godman at a Hindu temple in Uttar Pradesh.

- January 2011: A devastating stampede claimed the lives of at least 104 Sabarimala devotees and injured over 40 others when a jeep crashed into homebound pilgrims at Pulmedu in Kerala's Idukki district.

- November 2011: At least 20 people were killed in a stampede in Haridwar at Har-ki-Pauri ghat on the banks of the Ganges River.

- February 2013: A stampede on the busiest day of the Kumbh Mela, a massive gathering in Uttar Pradesh, resulted in the deaths of at least 36 Hindu pilgrims.

- November 2013: Approximately 115 people were killed and over a hundred injured in a stampede at the Ratangarh Temple in Madhya Pradesh during the Navratri celebrations.

- January 2022: At least 12 people died, and many more were injured in a stampede at the Vaishno Devi Shrine in Jammu and Kashmir after a large crowd of devotees attempted to enter the narrow shrine.