Permission for 80,000 but Lakhs Attended Hathras 'Satsang': Glaring Lapses Come to Fore

Hathras: Shocking revelations have come to fore that led to the Hathras tragedy on Tuesday  sending shock waves across the country. The religious congregation in Ratibhanpur village in the district soon turned into a chaotic scene after the crowd rushed to collect the soil from 'Baba Bhole's feet as they were leaving. The stampede led to the deaths of as many as 121 people and injuries of several others. 

Republic has learnt that many things which are necessary to a religious event were missing which aggravated the tragedy. The glaring lapses indicate that there was gross negligence in both taking and giving permission. Overcrowding was one of the reasons which led to the stampede incident, as per the FIR. The FIR stated that, the application submitted by the event organisers seeking permission for the 'satsang' had mentioned the number of attendees at 80,000, but the actual number was much higher. Sources revealed that as per a report, nearly 2.5 lakh people turned up at the event.

Here are the list of protocols that were not followed: 

• Exit and entry points were not made first.
• Emergency route was not made.
• There was no medical team on the spot.
• There should have been at least five ambulances, but they were not there.
• There was no arrangement of coolers and fans according to the crowd.
• There were no volunteers.
• The force deployed by the administration was also less, almost negligible.
• There was no proper arrangement for food and drink.
• There was no barricading on the road through which 'Bhole baba's convoy passed.
• There was no fence near the gathering due to which the public started running and a stampede occurred.
• All these things are not mentioned in the police report.
• All these things were not mentioned in the permission taken by the organizers.
• The entire ground was to be leveled and at least 10 acres of land was to be leveled, which was not done.
• The paths to go around the ground were to be made, but they were not made.

Meanwhile, the death toll in the stampede incident rose to 121 on Wednesday morning. The identification of the some of the deceased is still pending for which police have released their photos. Moreover, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is set to visit the accident site today in the wake of the stampede. The Chief Minister is likely to reach Hathras around 11 am. The CM has firmly stated that the government is committed to bring the truth behind the incident, whether it is an accident or a conspiracy. He assured strict actions against those found guilty.