India: Stampede at Religious Gathering Claims Over 100 Lives

Facts

• More than 100 people were killed Tuesday in the Indian district of Hathras, located in the state of Uttar Pradesh. The deaths were due to a stampede at a Hindu religious gathering organized by a guru who goes by two names — Bhole Baba and Sakar Vishwa Hari.¹
• Despite only having a permit to hold a 5K-person event, Baba's event on Tuesday reportedly welcomed 15K. Hospitals struggled to deal with the overwhelming casualties.²
• Officials offered multiple theories as to what caused the deaths — including overcrowding as people were leaving the venue and people slipping while seeking water due to hot conditions.³
• The Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath, said a police investigation (a 'First Information Report') will be opened into the event's organizers.⁴
• Temperatures had neared 100°F (37.7°C) with high humidity which may have reportedly prompted panic among attendees. Eyewitnesses reported that some victims had reportedly fallen into a drainage ditch.¹
• Other deadly religious gatherings in India's recent history include a stampede that killed 115 in 2013, another that killed nearly 250 in 2008, and one that killed over 340 an annual pilgrimage in 2005.³

Sources: ¹New York Times, ²Al Jazeera, ³Reuters and ⁴Hindustan Times.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by OpIndia. This isn't the first time Bhole Baba has organized a dangerously large gathering, having previously held a 50K-strong event despite only being approved for less than 100 people. As the event organizer, he must be thoroughly investigated and held accountable.
• Narrative B, as provided by DAWN.COM. While Bhole Baba and his event should be investigated, it's important to note that India has a history of deadly religious events, some of which bring up to 1M attendees. Authorities should implement proactive steps — such as improved crowd control and safety planning — to prevent such tragedies from ever occurring again.