Program:The World Today. Presented by. More than 100 people have been crushed to death in a stampede at a crowded religious gathering in northern India. Thousands of people were gathered in sweltering temperatures for the Hindu ceremony southeast of New Delhi. There are fears the death toll will continue to rise. Featured:Ashish Kumar, Hathras District AdministratorChaitra V, Aligarh CommissionerShakuntala Devi, witnessNarendra Modi, Indian Prime Minister. A crowd gathered outside the emergency department of Etah Hospital where hundreds of victims and people injured in the stampede were taken.Reuters: Bernat Parera. Sally Sara:More than 100 people have been crushed to death in a stampede at a crowded religious gathering in India. Thousands of people were gathered in sweltering temperatures for the Hindu ceremony southeast of New Delhi. There are fears the death toll will continue to rise and a warning this story contains some distressing details. Stephanie Smail reports. Stephanie Smail:Families are weeping with grief after the tragedy that unfolded in hot and crowded conditions. This man is the sole survivor from the group he went to the ceremony with in the historic city of Hathras. Stampede survivor:I came to attend the event with eight other people but no one survived. I don't know how it happened. There was a sudden commotion. I didn't even realise what happened. Stephanie Smail:Bodies are being delivered to hospital in ambulances or trucks with officials saying children are among those killed. Hundreds of people are crowding outside hoping to identify their loved ones. Ashish Kumar is the district administrator of Hathras and he describes what he knows so far. Ashish Kumar:A religious event was organised for the Hindu god Shiva in the village. Just when the event was about to culminate there was a sudden commotion due to overcrowding and excessive humidity which caused the stampede. Stephanie Smail:As authorities grapple with what went wrong, the commissioner of the broader Aligarh region, Chaitra V, says the death toll is rising. Chaitra V:According to the information we have received, 116 deaths have been confirmed and 18 people are injured. Stephanie Smail:At the scene of the stampede, people are sifting through piles of mobile phones and wallets to help identify those who have been killed. Shakuntala Devi witnessed the deadly stampede too. She says people started falling over each other and many were crushed. She says she saw dead bodies being pulled out of the crowd. The Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, says victims will be offered help. Narendra Modi:I express my condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the tragic incident. I wish a speedy recovery to all the injured. The administration under the supervision of the state government is carrying out rescue and relief operations. Senior officials of the central government are also working to help. The state government is in continuous communication with the state government of Uttar Pradesh. Through this house, I assure everyone that the victims will be provided all help. Stephanie Smail:Deadly stampedes have happened before at Indian religious festivals, where large crowds often gather in small areas. They are often blamed on poor management. A stampede in central India in 2013 killed 115 people, while nearly 250 died in 2008, and more than 340 were killed in 2005. Sally Sara:That's Stephanie Smail there. In this episode. Published:14h agoThu 11 Jul 2024 at 2:30am. Published:YesterdayWed 10 Jul 2024 at 3:00am. Published:TueTue 9 Jul 2024 at 2:30am. Published:MonMon 8 Jul 2024 at 3:00am. Download the ABC listen app to hear more of your favourite podcasts. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn and work.
Over 100 people crushed to death in a stampede during a Hindu ceremony in northern India. Victims were taken to hospitals, and authorities fear the death toll may rise. Witnesses describe chaos and bodies being pulled from the crowd. Indian Prime Minister offers condolences and promises help. Stampedes at religious gatherings have been a recurring issue in India, often due to poor management.