||Black and White Digital News||

||Parvinder Singh July 03, 2024||

New Delhi : — A religious event in Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras district turned tragic on Tuesday afternoon when a stampede left at least 116 dead and hundreds injured. The victims, predominantly women and children, had gathered to hear Bhole Baba, a popular spiritual preacher, in Rati Bhanpur village, about 202 km from Delhi and 350 km from Lucknow.

The disaster unfolded shortly after Bhole Baba addressed his followers at a special function organized by the Manav Mangal Milan Sadbhavana Samagam Committee. Despite having permission for the event, the organizers were unprepared for the massive turnout. Estimates suggest that more than 30,000 devotees had crowded into the venue, far exceeding expectations.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Droupadi Murmu expressed their heartfelt condolences and assured full support to the affected families. President Murmu tweeted, “The news of the death of many devotees, including women and children, is heart-rending. I express my deepest condolences to those who lost their family members and pray for the speedy recovery of those injured.”

During a Lok Sabha session, PM Modi paused to share the tragic news, announcing an ex-gratia payment of Rs 2 lakh from the PM’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the Next of Kin (NoK) of each deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured. “I assure everyone that all possible assistance will be provided to the victims,” he said. PM Modi also spoke with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to ensure coordinated rescue and relief efforts.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced a matching ex-gratia payment of Rs 2 lakh for each deceased family and Rs 50,000 for the injured. He also formed a high-level team, including the Additional Director General of Police and the Aligarh Police Commissioner, to investigate the causes of the stampede. The CM plans to visit Hathras on Wednesday morning.

In response to the tragedy, the Hathras district administration issued helpline numbers (05722227041 and 05722227042) for assistance and called in additional medical and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams. Hathras DM Ashish Kumar emphasized the district’s commitment to aiding the affected families and managing the crisis.

Bhole Baba, known for his unique attire of white suits and ties rather than traditional saffron robes, has long drawn large crowds to his events across Uttar Pradesh. His recent congregation in Hathras, widely publicized through posters, was no exception. Baba’s popularity soared during the COVID-19 pandemic, as he continued to attract significant gatherings despite restrictions.

As the community grapples with this immense loss, the focus now shifts to providing aid and understanding how such a tragedy occurred. The incident in Hathras serves as a sobering reminder of the critical need for stringent crowd control measures at large public gatherings.