Witnesses describe horror as death toll in UP stampede rises to 121

Survivors of India’s deadliest stampede in over a decade recounted scenes of horror at a vastly overcrowded Hindu religious gathering that left 121 people dead in Uttar Pradesh.

The gathering, which attracted over 250,000 attendees — triple the permitted number — turned tragic when attendees, including women and children, were crushed in a stampede in Hathras on Tuesday.

On Wednesday, witnesses described chaotic scenes as people tumbled down a slope into a water-logged ditch, overwhelmed by the massive crowd. The incident occurred as worshippers gathered soil from the preacher’s footsteps, with some attributing the stampede to a dust storm that caused panic. Some fainted from the force of the crowd, before falling and being trampled upon, unable to move.

“Everyone — the entire crowd, including women and children — all left from the event site at once,” said police officer Sheela Maurya, who had been on duty on Tuesday as a popular Hindu preacher addressed the gathering. “There wasn’t enough space, and everyone just fell on top of each other.”