At least 60 killed in stampede at religious event in north India

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Several more injured after thousands gathered in Uttar Pradesh state’s Hathras district, as officials fear the death toll could further rise.

At least 60 people have died and dozens injured in a stampede at a religious event in India’s northern state of Uttar Pradesh, authorities said.

The stampede happened on Tuesday in a village in Hathras district, about 200km (125 miles) southeast of national capital New Delhi.

Government official Ashish Kumar told The Associated Press that at least 60 bodies had reached mortuaries in the district.

“There is a possibility that the toll may go up,” Manish Chikara, a district police spokesperson, told Reuters news agency by phone.

The stampede occurred as attendees rushed to leave following the event with a religious leader named Bhole Baba, local media reported.

Unverified videos on social media showed bodies piled up on the ground outside a local hospital. Al Jazeera could not immediately verify the videos.

Police in Hathras said more than 150 injured people were admitted to hospitals after the incident.

Police officer Rajesh Singh said overcrowding may have been a factor. Initial reports suggested that over 15,000 people had gathered for the event, which had permission to host about 5,000.

One survivor, Jyoti, who goes only by her first name, told local media that the stampede happened quickly as soon as the event ended.

“Everyone was in a rush to leave … There was no way out and people were falling on each other,” she said.

State Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has ordered an investigation into the incident.

“Instructions have been given to the concerned officials to conduct relief and rescue operations on war footing and to provide proper treatment to the injured,” he wrote on X.

Deadly accidents are common at places of worship in India during major religious festivals, when large crowds gather in small areas with few safety measures.

At least 112 people were killed in 2016 after a huge explosion caused by a banned fireworks display at a temple marking the Hindu New Year. The explosion ripped through concrete buildings and ignited a fire at a temple complex in Kerala state, where thousands had gathered.

Another 115 devotees died in 2013 after a stampede at a bridge near a temple in Madhya Pradesh state in central India.

Up to 400,000 people had gathered in the area. The stampede occurred after a rumour spread that the bridge was about to collapse.

At least 224 pilgrims died and more than 400 others were injured in a 2008 stampede at a hilltop temple in the northern city of Jodhpur in Rajasthan state.