A devastating crowd crush at a religious gathering in Mughal Garhi village, Uttar Pradesh, northern India, led to the deaths of at least 116 people on Tuesday. The majority of the victims were women and children, making this one of the deadliest incidents of its kind in recent years.

The tragedy occurred during a satsang, a prayer meeting, in Hathras district, approximately 200 kilometers (124 miles) southeast of New Delhi. The event featured Bhole Baba, a self-styled godman, whose sermon attracted a massive crowd. Despite expecting 80,000 attendees, many more people arrived, leading to overcrowding.

According to Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Singh, the fatal crush happened when devotees surged forward to touch Bhole Baba’s feet after the event concluded. The chaos intensified as people began to fall on top of each other and into an open sewer nearby.

Local health officials confirmed that 108 women and seven children were among the deceased, with at least 72 bodies identified so far. Numerous injured individuals are receiving treatment in nearby hospitals.

Singh criticized the event organizers for not adhering to safety protocols, suggesting that overcrowding was the primary cause of the disaster. He announced a high-level inquiry to investigate the incident, with a police report being filed against the organizers for exceeding permitted attendance levels. “There has been a major lapse on the part of the organizers. They will face strict punishment,” Singh stated.

Survivors recounted the horrific moments following the crush. Shakuntala Devi, speaking to the Press Trust of India, described the scene: “People started falling one upon another, one upon another. Those who were crushed died. People there pulled them out.”

Efforts are ongoing to provide medical care for the injured, and arrangements for post-mortem examinations are being made. Inspector General Shalabh Mathur from the neighboring district of Ambala Range emphasized the urgency of the relief operations.

Footage from Reuters showed large crowds outside a hospital in Etah district, where distraught families mourned the victims. Medical personnel were seen transporting people on stretchers.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences in the Lok Sabha, the lower house of India’s parliament. He assured that the government is conducting “relief and rescue work” in coordination with the state government, promising comprehensive assistance for the victims.

This tragic event underscores the recurring issue of inadequate crowd control at large gatherings in India, with similar incidents in recent years causing significant loss of life.