India stampede: safety probe looms after more than 120 killed in religious rush

Among the victims was 20-year-old Priyanka from Kasganj village, who attended the satsang, a type of Hindu religious gathering, in the Hathras district of Uttar Pradesh (UP) along with her family on Tuesday.

“She was trampled as we were trying to leave the satsang. We took her to the hospital but she passed away,” Priyanka’s father Ramsev told This Week in Asia.

Authorities say at least 121 people were trampled to death at Tuesday’s gathering after devotees rushed to receive a blessing from Narayan Sakar Hari, the guru popularly known as Bhole Baba who organised the event.

Authorities estimate around 250,000 people attended the satsang, far exceeding the 80,000 allowed by the event’s permit. The police have filed a case against the organisers.

Chaitra V, divisional commissioner of Aligarh city in UP, also attributed the tragedy to a dust storm that kicked up as the event was ending, blinding the vision of attendees and leading to a melee that caused the subsequent stampede.

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Deadly stampede crushes 116 Indians, mainly women, at Hindu gathering

Before the incident, videos showed people gathering in a large tent, listening to Hari as he sat in a chair on a pedestal before them.

Ramsev said his family has been regular visitors to the Baba’s religious gathering over the years.

“I never imagined something like this would happen to my family,” Ramsev said, still in shock after completing the cremation of her daughter.

Photos showing scores of dead bodies lying on ice blocks inside a Hathras hospital, with grieving relatives waiting outside to take their mortal remains home, painted a grim picture of the incident.

While many were waiting to collect the dead bodies of their family members, some were still searching for their missing