By Anbarasan Ethirajan, BBC News, Sikandra Rao, Hathras
Watch: Survivors Share Harrowing Accounts of the Crush at India’s Religious Event
The day after a devastating crush at a religious event in Uttar Pradesh, North India, claimed the lives of 121 people, the families of some victims are still desperately searching for their loved ones.
The tragic incident occurred during a satsang, a Hindu religious gathering, organized by a self-proclaimed spiritual leader known as Bhole Baba in Hathras district. Authorities reported that massive overcrowding led to the fatal crush, and police have since filed charges against the main event organizers.
This is one of the most severe crowd disasters in India in recent years, where such incidents are frequently attributed to inadequate safety protocols and poor crowd management.
On Wednesday, a significant police presence was observed as politicians visited the scene to investigate the tragedy. Workers were dismantling the large tent from the event site, located about 500 meters from the main road, where two vibrant arches adorned with the name and image of Bhole Baba marked the entrance and exit.
Heavy rain from the morning had soaked the area, creating large pools of water that made it difficult to navigate. A brick path laid by the organizers led to the main stage, now littered with the belongings of the victims—clothes and shoes that serve as somber reminders of the lives lost.
Officials reported that the majority of those killed and injured were women.
Yogesh Yadav, a local resident, was among the first to rush to the chaotic scene. "After the prayer meeting ended, Bhole Baba was departing. Hundreds of women ran after his car to collect soil from under the tires as a blessing," he told the BBC. "Some crossed the highway for a better view. In the confusion, many women fell into the nearby drain, and others piled on top of them," he added.
Police estimate that around 250,000 people attended the event, despite the initial permit allowing only 80,000 attendees. Eyewitnesses recounted to the BBC that security measures were insufficient to handle such a large crowd.
At the main hospital in Aligarh, a neighboring city, dozens of people were seen waiting to claim the bodies of their loved ones. One man had come to search for his aunt, missing since the tragic event on Tuesday afternoon.
Hridesh Kumar, sitting outside the mortuary, was overcome with grief. "My wife, Sarva Devi, attended the prayer meeting with our two children and relatives. While my uncle and children were unharmed, my wife was killed in the crush," he said tearfully. "How will I raise my children without her? My entire world has been shattered."
Scattered slippers and shoes remained at the site of the tragedy, a stark testament to the chaos that unfolded.
Little is known about Bhole Baba, but locals describe him as a widely revered figure in the district. As we approached the site of the disaster, we passed numerous posters and billboards featuring his image on either side of the road.
Police stated that Bhole Baba heads an organization named the Ram Kutir Charitable Trust, which was responsible for organizing Tuesday’s event.
India has a tragic history of accidents at religious events, often due to large crowds gathering in confined spaces with minimal safety measures. In 2018, around 60 people died when a train struck a crowd watching Dusshera festival celebrations. Similarly, a 2013 crush during a Hindu festival in Madhya Pradesh resulted in 115 fatalities.
India
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