27 Dead, Over 150 Hospitalized After Stampede at Indian Religious Gathering

A stampede at a religious gathering in northern India has resulted in at least 27 fatalities on the 2nd.

India Today reported on the 2nd, in a village in the Hathras region of Uttar Pradesh, 27 deaths and admission to the hospital for over 150 people have resulted due to the incident.

According to medical personnel, three of the deceased were children, and the death toll may continue to rise. The heavy casualties occurred as a crowd surged toward religious leader Bhole Baba just as he was leaving a gathering that was held to honor the deity, Shiva.

A witness at the scene testified, “The exit was narrow, and when we tried to leave the stadium, a sudden commotion broke out, and we didn’t know what to do.” Local police stated that “the cause of the occurrence was the excessive crowd and congestion at the site of the religious gathering.”