Survivors describe the "chaos" of a stampede that killed 121 people in India

 

Survivors of India's worst stampede in more than a decade described Wednesday the massive "chaos" that accompanied the disaster that killed 121 people at a huge Hindu gathering.

About 250,000 people gathered near the town of Hathras in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh to listen to a preacher's sermon, police said, more than three times the 80,000 allowed.

Disaster management authorities in Uttar Pradesh released a new casualty list Wednesday morning, saying 121 people had been killed, up from an earlier toll of 116.

On Wednesday morning, after hours of stampeding, clothes and shoes lay scattered in a muddy field along a highway.

Witnesses said many people fell on top of each other as they slid down a hillside toward a water-filled ditch.

"Everyone, the whole crowd, including women and children, left the site at once," said Sheila Morea, a 50-year-old policewoman who was on duty during the disaster.

"There was not enough room, and people were falling on top of each other," she added.

Some lost consciousness under the pressure of the crowd and were trampled. Most of the victims were women.

On Wednesday, forensic police searched the site for evidence.

The policewoman on duty Tuesday was injured during the ceremony, which took place in stifling heat and humidity.

She said: "I tried to help the women, but I lost consciousness and the crowd crushed me... I don't know how, but someone pulled me out. I don't remember much."

Fatal accidents at places of worship are common during India's major religious festivals, the largest of which draws millions of devotees to holy sites.

"The main road that runs along the field was jammed with people and vehicles for miles, and there was a huge number of people," said Hori Lal, 45, who lives in the nearby village of Phulrai Mughalgadi.

He added, "As soon as people started falling on the roadside and getting crushed, chaos ensued.

Chitra V, the municipal commissioner of Aligarh in the state of Uttar Pradesh, initially stated that "the participants were about to leave the site when a dust storm hit and blocked their view, leading to a stampede and the tragic accident that followed.

A police report said the incident occurred when "devotees started picking up handfuls of dirt" from under the preacher's feet as he left the site.

Policewoman Moria said, "I have never seen so many people" during an event, although she has helped provide security for a number of political or religious gatherings.

At dawn on Wednesday, four unidentified bodies lay on the floor of an improvised morgue at Hathras City Hospital.

Ram Nivas, a 35-year-old farmer, said he was searching for his missing sister-in-law, Romla, 54.

"We couldn't find her anywhere," he said, noting that he had visited all the nearby hospitals during the night.

"We hope she's alive," he added in a low voice, "and just missing."

In the emergency room of the hospital, Sandeep Kumar (29 years old) sits next to his injured sister Sheikha (22 years old).

"After the sermon ended, everyone wanted to leave quickly, which led to a stampede," Sandeep said, adding, "I saw people losing consciousness and being crushed."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an ex-gratia of $2,400 for the next of kin of the victims and $600 for those injured in the "tragic accident.

The Senate observed a minute's silence on Wednesday.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who is also a Hindu monk, offered his condolences to the families of the dead and ordered an investigation into the cause of the accident.

Religious gatherings in India have a grim record of fatal accidents caused by poor crowd management and safety lapses.

In 2008, a stampede at a hilltop temple in the northern city of Jodhpur killed 224 pilgrims and injured more than 400 others.