Hathras stampede LIVE: UP CM announces judicial probe

The railways have made special arrangements for around 3,000 people who are seeking to return home after attending a religious congregation in Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras district where a stampede left 121 dead.

Keeping in mind the safety of the crowd, a speed restriction of 15 kmph has been imposed on all trains passing through the Sikandar Rau station, the railway ministry said. Read more.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed condolences over the stampede at the religious congregation in Uttar Pradesh in which 121 people were killed.

“President of #Russia Vladimir Putin sent a condolence message to President of #India Droupadi Murmu & Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi over the tragic stampede in #UttarPradesh: Kindly accept the most sincere condolences over the tragic accident in Uttar Pradesh,” the Russian Embassy in India posted on X.

A letter by Hathras Sub divisional magistrate Sikandra Rao narrated the chain of events that ultimately led to stampede, claiming the lives of nearly 121 people and injuring hundreds at a religious ‘Satsang’ event in Fulari village. Read here.

Hathras News Live: On the Hathras stampede incident, Madhya Pradesh Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya tells ANI: “This is a very sad incident and politics should not be done on this…The government should make sure that this type of incident should not be repeated and the opposition should not this incident with a political view…”

“It is a very painful incident. We are saddened by this incident. The Uttar Pradesh government and administration are fully responsible for this incident. The loss of lives in this incident is due to the government’s negligence,” Akhilesh Yadav tells reporters in Delhi, according to ANI.

“We have formed an SIT, led by ADG Agra. It has submitted a preliminary report. They have been told to investigate this deeply. There are several angles that need to be investigated…State government has decided to have a judicial inquiry as well which will be led by a retired High Court judge. Retired senior officials of the Administration and Police will also be a part of it…” says UP CM Yogi Adityanath.

“I had a conversation with several eyewitnesses and they informed me that the incident took place after the program was over when the preacher of the Satsang was coming down from the stage, suddenly several women started going towards him to touch him and when the ‘sevadars’ stopped them, due to which this accident happened. The administration was not allowed by the ‘sevadars’ to enter inside…” UP CM Yogi Adityanath says.

“Our priority was to focus on the rescue and operation. A total of 121 devotees have lost their lives. They were from UP, Haryana, MP and Rajasthan. Out of the 121 deceased, 6 were from other states. 31 injured people are undergoing treatment and almost everyone is out of danger,” says UP CM Yogi Adityanath.

Speaking on the incident, UP CM says: “When the incident happened, organisers of the religious event fled. They also tried to cover up the incident.”

Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath has promised a judicial inquiry into the stampede incident in Hathras, adds that it will be headed by a retired judge of the high court. “Notification for the same will be issued by evening,” the CM says.

UP CM Yogi Adityanath says that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) will probe stampede incident.

Addressing a press conference, UP CM Yogi Adityanath said that about 121 people lost their lives and 31 people were injured. “All of them (those injured) are out of danger,” he adds.

UP CM Yogi Adityanath is addressing a press conference on the Hathras stampede incident.

Hathras News Live: On Hathras stampede, Congress MP Manickam Tagore tells ANI: “It is a very sad incident which happened in Hathras. When the Prime Minister was replying to the Motion of Thanks yesterday, the report came in. We all condoned the incident… It’s a very sad incident in the 21st century if this is happening… We feel that government must act and fix those people who are involved in it. A fair action is needed. Nobody should try to protect those people who have made this mistake. It is a heinous crime on the people who had come for some kind of religious activity…”

Hathras News Live: On the Hathras stampede accident, Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi said, “It is an unfortunate incident. The PM expressed his condolences during his speech yesterday. The central and state governments will provide all possible assistance. The causes of the accident will be investigated, and those found at fault will face action. Appropriate compensation will also be provided to the victims.”

Hathras News Live: Sikandra Rao SDM wrote to Hathras DM, stating, “Narayan Hari Sarkar arrived at the venue at 12:30 PM, and the event lasted for an hour. When the baba departed, people began rushing towards him to seek his blessings. A large number of people were already standing on the divider at GT Road and started running towards Baba. To prevent the crowd from reaching him, his private security and ‘Sevadar’ pushed some individuals, causing them to fall. The crowd lost control and panicked. Seeking relief, people rushed towards the nearby open field, where multiple individuals slipped on a slope, leading others to run over them.”

Hathras News Live: Delhi: Congress leader and Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge criticised the BJP-led Uttar Pradesh government and the central government, accusing them of showing a casual attitude toward the Hathras stampede incident.

“It’s a very unfortunate incident. But more importantly, the casual attitude of the Uttar Pradesh government and the central government as if nothing has happened, is pathetic. The prime minister has time to mock the Congress and the Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi but has no time for all the real issues that are plaguing the country. Absolutely zero interest to show sympathy for the loss of lives whether it’s a railway accident or a stampede, the prime minister is happy in his ivory tower,” he said.

Hathras News Live: Samajwadi Party chief and MP Akhilesh Yadav criticized the Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government on Wednesday, holding it responsible for the loss of lives in the Hathras stampede incident.

“This is a very painful incident. We are saddened by this tragedy. The Uttar Pradesh government and administration are fully accountable for this. The loss of lives is due to the government’s negligence. Some injured individuals died because they did not receive proper treatment. The BJP government is responsible for this. This is not the first incident where negligence has been evident. Standard operating procedures (SOPs) for large gatherings should be implemented to prevent such incidents in the future,” he said.

Hathras News Live: On the Hathras stampede, Samajwadi Party MP Awadhesh Singh said, “The incident is heart-wrenching… The government is responsible for this. It looks as if the government has not carried out their responsibilities well. This is the negligence of the administration and the police. Such a huge event was going to take place, there should have been proper arrangements. We hope that the government will work to save the lives of those who are injured… This should be taken seriously and a high-level inquiry should be ordered. The bereaved families should be given financial assistance.”

Hathras News Live: Regarding the Hathras stampede incident, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) MP Mahua Maji stated, “When more people than the venue’s capacity had gathered, the administration should have taken notice… The victims must receive compensation… The Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh should step down…”

Hathras stampede live updates: Advocate Vishal Tiwari has filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking the appointment of an Expert Committee led by a retired high court judge to investigate the deaths of 121 people at ‘Satsang’ in Hathras. The PIL aims to survey and establish guidelines and directives to prevent similar incidents in the future.

The FIR has been registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 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).

Hathras stampede live updates: Thirsty and hungry, 60-year-old Urmila Devi anxiously awaited news about her granddaughter, 16-year-old Khushboo, at a community health centre in Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras. Khushboo had gone missing after the stampede at a religious gathering that claimed the lives of 121 people.

Initially, the injured and deceased were brought to the centre, where 96 people were pronounced dead, and 40 others were transferred to different hospitals. Urmila was among the distressed relatives at the centre, desperately pleading with the overwhelmed staff and doctors for information about their loved ones’ fates. Dig deeper