Police are on the lookout for a prophet after a crowd crush at a religious gathering in northern India killed more than a hundred people Tuesday, July 2 mostly women.
In one of the deadliest incidents the country has seen in recent years, most of the people killed had fallen into an open sewer next to the venue.
Police are investigating the organizers, saying 250,000 people arrived at the venue – more than three times the number expected and just a few dozen police officers had been deployed.
Bhole Baba, the self-styled prophet who led the event and the event organizers have been accused of culpable homicide not amounting to murder, wrongfully restraining a person, causing the disappearance of evidence or providing false information. Bhole Baba reportedly ‘cures’ illness with ‘plain water’.
The disaster happened at a prayer meeting, known as a satsang, in Mughal Garhi village in Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state.
At least 121 people died and 35 others were injured, Sandeep Singh, the Minister of State for Education, told reporters Wednesday, after a large number of people rushed to touch Bhole Baba’s feet, leading to a crush.
Almost all those killed were women, Singh said earlier, with at least seven children also among the dead.
About 72 bodies have been identified so far, and dozens of injured people are being treated in nearby hospitals, according to local health officials.
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He is Sakar Vishwa Hari, also known as Bhole Baba, a self-styled godman.
He claims to be a former employee of the Intelligence Bureau. He preaches 'Manav Dharam'.
More than 100 people died in a stampede at his Satsang event in UP's Hathras. But, this is not first incident of… pic.twitter.com/J9LXMScgte
— Anshul Saxena (@AskAnshul) July 2, 2024
Tragic. Despite the emergency, no ambulances were available. Many victims were brought to hospitals in private vehicles. The death toll in Hathras, UP, may rise. A stampede at a religious event has already resulted in the deaths of 30 people.https://t.co/LIzLT8H2Ax
— Naseer Giyas (@NaseerGiyas) July 2, 2024