The death toll in the stampede at a religious congregation in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras has risen to 121, including seven children, the Office of the state Relief Commissioner said today.
The number of people injured in yesterday’s incident stands at 28. Of the total fatalities, 19 are yet to be identified, it said.
Uttar Pradesh police today registered an FIR against the organisers of the religious congregation.
The FIR has been registered under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, formerly Indian Penal Code, sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 110 (attempt to commit culpable homicide), 126 (2) (wrongful restraint), 223 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by the public servant), 238 (causing disappearance of evidence), a police official said.
The victims of the stampede were among thousands of people who had gathered near Phulrai village in Sikandra Rau area for the event held by religious preacher Bhole Baba, the assumed name of a self-styled local preacher. Bhole Baba is a former police constable whose real name is Suraj Pal Singh.
The stampede took place around 3:30pm when the preacher was leaving the venue after addressing his followers and there was a surge of people wishing to see him up close.
