At least 60 people are feared to have been killed in a stampede at a religious gathering in northern India, officials have said.
More than 150 others were taken to hospitals after the crush in a village in the Hathras district of Uttar Pradesh.
District police spokesperson Manish Chikara said about 60 people have died, but said that figure may rise, while broadcaster NDTV reports at least 87 have been killed.
The stampede took place as attendees rushed to leave the event with a religious leader, local media reported, around 217 miles southwest of the state capital Lucknow.
Initial reports suggested more than 15,000 people had gathered for the event, which had permission to host around 5,000.
Videos on social media showed bodies piled up on the ground outside a local hospital, though these images have not been independently verified.
An unidentified witness told India Today there was a narrow exit at the venue: “As we tried to exit towards a field, suddenly a commotion started, and we didn’t know what to do.”
Another survivor, Jyoti, told local media the stampede occurred as soon as the event ended.
She said: “There was no way out and people were falling on each other.”
Deadly stampedes are common during Indian religious festivals, where large crowds gather in small areas with few safety measures.
The country’s defence minister, Rajnath Singh, described the incident as “extremely painful”.
“My deepest condolences to the bereaved families of those who have lost their loved ones in this accident,” he wrote in a post on X.
“Along with this, I wish for the speedy recovery of all the injured. Under the supervision of the state government, the local administration is providing all possible help to all the victims.”
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In 2013, pilgrims visiting a temple for a popular Hindu festival in central Madhya Pradesh state trampled each other amid fears a bridge would collapse.
At least 115 were crushed to death or died in the river.
In 2011, more than 100 people died in a crush at a religious festival in the southern state of Kerala.
Emily Foster is a globe-trotting journalist based in the UK. Her articles offer readers a global perspective on international events, exploring complex geopolitical issues and providing a nuanced view of the world’s most pressing challenges.
