Hathras, India: A tragic stampede at a Hindu religious event in the Hathras district of Uttar Pradesh resulted in the deaths of at least 116 people, most of whom were women and children. The incident also led to the hospitalization of at least 150 others. The tragedy occurred during a satsang (religious discourse) in the village of Mughal Garhi.

A large crowd had gathered for a sermon by a popular preacher. However, a fierce dust storm struck as attendees were leaving, causing panic and leading to a stampede. Many were trampled or crushed, falling on top of each other, with some collapsing into a roadside drain amidst the chaos.

"We have confirmed 97 deaths so far and are focusing on providing relief and medical aid for the victims," said Chaitra V., the divisional commissioner of Aligarh city in Uttar Pradesh. She explained that the dust storm blinded the attendees' vision, leading to the tragic melee.

State chief medical officer Umesh Kumar Tripathi confirmed that many injured individuals have been admitted to hospitals. Ambulances carried the injured to medical facilities, while distressed families gathered outside a mortuary in Etah seeking information about their relatives.

Witnesses described the scene as chaotic and devastating. "When the sermon finished, everyone started running out," Shakuntala, a witness, told the Press Trust of India news agency. "People fell in a drain by the road. They started falling one on top of the other and got crushed to death."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced compensation of $2,400 to the next of kin of those who died and $600 to those injured in the "tragic incident." Modi expressed his condolences and wished for the speedy recovery of the injured on social media platform X. President Droupadi Murmu described the deaths as "heart-rending" and extended her "deepest condolences."

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also expressed condolences and directed district administration officials to immediately take the injured to the hospital and expedite relief work at the site. An investigation into the deaths has been ordered.

India has a grim history of deadly incidents at religious gatherings due to poor crowd management and safety lapses. Notable incidents include a 2016 explosion at a temple in Kerala state that killed 112 people and a 2013 stampede at a bridge near a temple in Madhya Pradesh that resulted in 115 deaths. In 2008, a stampede at a hilltop temple in Jodhpur killed 224 pilgrims and injured over 400.