87 people, including children, died in a stampede in Uttar Pradesh, India

International Desk: At least 87 people have died in a stampede at a religious event in India's Uttar Pradesh. Initially, 27 deaths were reported. But later this number increased. 

Among the dead were women and children, local officials said.  Media outlet NDTV reported on Tuesday (July 2) that the stampede occurred at a prayer meeting in Hahotres.

Video captured at the local community health center shows many frozen bodies being brought in by buses and tampu. At that time their relatives were crying. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has been informed about the incident and a committee has been constituted to find out the cause of the horrifying stampede. 

A woman who participated in the event said that the prayer meeting was organized in honor of a local religious guru. The stampede happened when people were leaving after the event. 

A video has been published by a person named Subham Sharma on micro blogging site X. It is seen that the bodies of several women are lying there. He wrote in the video, “On the way out, everyone tried to get out through a small door in the prayer meeting hall. But many people lost their lives while trying to get out quickly.

Hathras Divisional Magistrate Ashish Kumar said that according to the information received from the health center so far, they have come to know about the death of 50 to 60 people. About the accident, he said, “There was a stampede in a village of Sikandra Rao police station near Hathor. The injured are being taken to hospital.

Doctors at the health center told me 50 to 60 people died. It was a private event. This was allowed by the Sub-Divisional Magistrate. The administration has ensured security. But the onus was on the organizers to conduct the event.”