At least 130 people have been killed in a stampede at a rally in India, with more than 20,000 casualties at the scene, and the number of casualties is likely to increase further

On the afternoon of July 2, local time, at least 130 people were killed in a stampede at a religious event in Uttar Pradesh, India, mostly women and young children. More than 20,000 people attended the religious event, and the number of casualties is likely to rise further. Why do stampedes happen? Why are the casualties so high? Why are stampedes so frequent in India?

>> the scene

It can accommodate 5,000 people, but 20,000 people participate

Someone fell and stampede when leaving the venue

According to the report, on the afternoon of July 2, local time, a village in the Hatteras region of Uttara Pradesh, India, held a religious event called "Satsan", which was attended by 20,000 people, and a stampede occurred at the end of the event, and the death toll has increased to 130 and more than 150 were injured, and the number of casualties may further increase.

According to eyewitnesses, the religious event was held in a village with a capacity of 5,000 people, but about 20,000 people participated in the event. At the end of the event, the crowd scrambled to leave, following a religious leader out of the venue, and some people fell and people stepped on people. Other witnesses said that a road near the site of the incident was closed at 10 p.m. on Monday and only opened on Tuesday afternoon, causing crowds and stampedes at the end of the event. The police tried to control the crowd with batons, which caused panic among many and exacerbated the situation.

According to an eyewitness, "There was a stampede when people started to leave after the religious service. The road near the place of the incident was built on a high ground with a drainage ditch underneath, and a stampede occurred among the crowd of people leaving, and people began to fall into the drainage ditch one by one, resulting in deaths. ”

Another witness recalled: "As soon as the religious activities were over, the crowd began to leave, but the exit was narrow. When we tried to move towards the field at the exit, there was a sudden commotion at the scene. ”

Unconfirmed video of the scene circulating on social media shows many bodies piled up outside a local hospital, which has yet to be confirmed to be true. Other videos show people helping each other out, looking solemn and frightened, and some people crying.

>> officials

Police said the crowd led to a stampede

Religious event organizers will be prosecuted

Police said that although the cause of the accident is not yet known, the stampede apparently occurred due to an overcrowded crowd. It was very hot and humid during the event, and the people who participated felt unwell. At the end of the event, people started walking, triggering a stampede.

Yogi Adyanat, Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, India, expressed his condolences to the families of the deceased and announced financial assistance of Rs 200,000 for each of the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for each of the injured. He has ordered the formation of a commission of inquiry, including the head of the Aligarh Police, to demand a thorough investigation into the cause of the stampede.

Adyanat also said that a lawsuit would be filed against the organizers of the religious event at the time of the stampede. The Uttar Pradesh government is preparing to take significant action on the matter.

Kumar, the governor of Hatteras, said the religious event was a private organization, led by a religious missionary and his wife, who had been holding such events for 26 years. They were approved for an impromptu gathering, but there was a stampede after the event. Police have been deployed outside the event site to maintain law and order.

Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also expressed his condolences and said, "The incident in the Hatteras district of Uttar Pradesh is extremely distressing. I extend my deepest condolences to the families who lost their loved ones in this incident. I wish all the injured a speedy recovery. Under the supervision of the Uttar Pradesh government, the local government is providing all possible assistance to all the victims. ”

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences to the victims of the religious stampede in Uttar Pradesh at a parliamentary session. At the same time, Modi said that rescue work has been carried out in the accident.

A preacher who calls himself a "saint".

He worked as a police officer for 18 years before resigning from his job and serving a mission

The religious event was linked to Lord Shiva, and the main culprit of the stampede at the religious event was reported to be religious preacher Bole Baba. At the time of the incident, a religious event called "Satsan" was being held in the area, and Bole Baba was speaking to his followers in a specially made tent in the village. He only obtained a temporary gathering permit on the day of the incident, but he did not expect that 20,000 people would go to the event site, during which there was a stampede.

A self-proclaimed "saint" and a former civil servant in the Indian government, Bolbaba resigned from government 26 years ago to begin his mission. He claimed to have worked in the Indian Intelligence Service and had a large following all over Uttar Pradesh, India.

Originally from a rural area, Bolbaba said he worked as a farmer with his father before joining the Uttar Pradesh Police and was also sent to the Intelligence Department. However, after 18 years as a police officer, he chose to quit his job and serve a mission. He lived in a hut in the village and began to travel and preach.

According to Bolbaba, he has hundreds of thousands of followers throughout India. Whenever he organizes any event, thousands of believers are gathered and he imparts knowledge related to human welfare to the faithful.

However, Bolba stayed away from the media and never gave himself a chance to face the media. Volunteers are responsible for the arrangement of "Satsan", and the activities are not interviewed by the media.

>> accidents are frequent

Religious activities are prone to stampede accidents

A stampede killed 115 people as a result of spreading rumours

Fatal accidents at religious sites in India are quite common, the report said. Historically, there have been fatal stampedes during religious festivals in India.

In 2016, a temple set off banned fireworks to celebrate the Hindu New Year, causing a huge explosion that killed at least 112 people.

In 2013, at least 115 people were killed in a stampede at the Latanga Temple in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. At that time, a large number of people rushed to cross the narrow bridge about 500 meters long, and there were people who were pushed and trampled on the bridge, and some people were squeezed off the bridge and fell into the river to their deaths. The investigation found that as many as 400,000 people gathered at that time, and some people were trying to cut into the queue to spread rumors that the bridge was about to collapse, and people fled in a hurry, causing heavy casualties.

In 2011, at least 100 people were killed and dozens injured in a major stampede in the southwestern Indian state of Kerala. Before the incident, local Hindus were celebrating religious festivals.

In 2008, a stampede at a hilltop temple in the northern Indian city of Jodhpur killed an estimated 224 people and injured more than 400.

In 2005, at least 265 Hindu pilgrims died in a stampede at a remote temple in the Indian state of Maharashtra.

>> cause analysis

Officials did not plan in advance

and effectively control the number of people

Studies have shown that there are an average of 4.2 stampede deaths worldwide each year, resulting in 386 deaths. Pilgrimage sites, concerts, football stadiums and festival sites are frequent places for stampedes.

According to the analysis, once crowded places with large crowds, the crowd is easily excited, and most people will "panic" because of fear, and it is easy to cause a stampede in an unorganized and purposeless escape.

Fatal stampedes are common at religious celebrations in India because of the high atmosphere, the report said, and this is due to the lack of prior planning and effective crowd control. Religious celebrations in India usually attract thousands of people, sometimes tens of thousands, of pilgrimages, which is a challenge for the Indian government, but India's official security personnel are poorly equipped and the number of people present at the festival is inadequate. Huashang Daily Gale News reporter Guo Ji