India: At 87 the dead from trampling at a celebration – Video

The death toll from a stampede at a Hindu religious gathering in northern India has risen to 116, an official told China’s Xinhua news agency in the latest provisional tally of the tragedy.

Another official, speaking to AFP, spoke of 96 dead.

Officials continue to express fears that the death toll will rise.

The incident occurred in a village in the Hathra district, about 200 kilometers southeast of the capital New Delhi, in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.

Unverified videos on social media show bodies piled on the ground outside a local hospital.

“I can’t give an exact death toll right now, but it’s around 60… There is a possibility that the toll will rise,” Manis Chikara, a regional police spokesman, told Reuters by telephone.

Earlier, a medical services official told AFP that at least 27 people had died.

Unverified videos on social media show bodies piled on the ground outside a local hospital.

The state chief minister has ordered an inquiry into the incident.

The news of the death of many devotees is extremely painful. The scenes of the accident are heart-wrenching. The government and the administration urge that there be no shortage of treatment for the injured and immediate compensation for the victims!#hathras pic.twitter.com/n6N5pb2Ogp

— लक्ष्मिकांत ‘पपपु निषाद’ (@Pappunishadmp) July 2, 2024

According to the BBC, the dead include 23 women and 3 children, while local media say at least 100 dead.

The police administration arrived at the scene much later. खाबर है की 75 more women अवर बाखें की मुटा अब तक हो चुकी है. The number of dead may increase

The incident took place in Hathras where there was a stampede after the meeting and no relief work had started at the scene for a long time. #Hathras #Etah… pic.twitter.com/jc9bRr1amK

— भारत समाचार | Bharat Samachar (@bstvlive) July 2, 2024