In a tragic turn of events, more than a hundred people lost their lives in a horrific crush at a religious gathering in India’s Uttar Pradesh state. The incident occurred at a prayer meeting in the village of Mughal Garhi, leaving 108 women, seven children, and countless others injured.
Local officials attribute the overcrowding to the disaster, as attendees tumbled into a nearby sewer during the event. Despite organizers expecting around 80,000 attendees, an unexpected surge in participants led to the catastrophic outcome.
Survivors recounted the chaos and horror of the scene, with individuals falling on top of each other in a desperate attempt to reach the religious figure or collect soil from the venue. An inquiry has been launched to investigate the circumstances and hold the event organizers accountable for their failure to comply with safety regulations.
As efforts continue to provide medical care to the injured and conduct post-mortem examinations, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences and assured that relief and rescue operations are underway. The tragic incident serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of overcrowding and a lapse in event organization.
This devastating event follows a similar crush in January 2022 at a holy shrine in Jammu, which claimed the lives of at least a dozen people. The authorities are committed to conducting a thorough investigation into the incident to prevent such tragedies in the future.