Mumbai: On Wednesday ( Jul 3 ), survivors of India’s most deadly stampede in more than a decade recall the horror of being crushed at a massive Hindu religious gathering that resulted in the deaths of 116 people.
A police report said 250, 000 persons attended the event in northeastern India’s Uttar Pradesh express, more than triple the 80, 000 organisers had authority for.
On Wednesday morning, hours after the event, discarded garments and lost boots were scattered across the muddy page, an empty field alongside a bridge.
According to witnesses, persons fell on top of each other as they slop down a slope into a water-logged drain.
” People- the whole group, including women and children- all left the occasion site at once,” said police agent Sheela Maurya, 50, who had been on duty on Tuesday as a well-known Hindu preacher delivered a sermon.
” There was n’t enough space, and everyone just fell on top of each other”.
Officials speculated that worshippers tried to gather ground from the preacher’s footsteps during the panic, while others attributed it to a dust storm, which caused panic.
Some fell and were trampled upon, unable to proceed, after the crowd’s force caused them to faint.
“CRUSHED”
Maurya, who had been on work since early dawn on Tuesday in the sweltering tropical temperature at the priest’s service, was among the injured.
” I tried to help some people, but perhaps I fainted and was crushed under the crowd”, she said.
” I do n’t know, but someone pulled me out, and I do n’t remember much”.
During the biggest religious holidays in India, when thousands of devotees make pilgrimages to sacred places, horrific incidents are frequent at places of worship.
” The major highway next to the area was packed with people and automobiles for miles, there were far too many people around”, said Hori Lal, 45, who lives in Phulrai Mughalgadi town, near the site of the panic.
” Once persons started falling to the side and getting crushed, there was just chaos”.