A stampede at a Hindu religious gathering in India's northern province of Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday has left at least 121 people dead and several others injured.
The stampede occurred in a hamlet in Hathras district, roughly 200 kilometers southeast of the national capital, New Delhi. Officials claimed a large crowd had assembled on open ground in response to a religious leader's exhortation.
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Manish Chikara, a district police spokeswoman, estimated the death toll at around 60 people but indicated it might climb.
Social media videos showed victims stacked on the ground outside a nearby hospital. Reuters was unable to authenticate the photographs quickly.
"The incident happened due to overcrowding at the time when people were trying to leave the venue," Hathras district administrator Ashish Kumar told reporters.
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According to a witness who spoke to India Today, the venue had a small exit: "As we tried to exit towards a field, suddenly a commotion started, and we didn't know what to do."
Uttar Pradesh is India's most populated state, with about 200 million residents. Its Chief Minister, Yogi Adityanath, has ordered a probe.
"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 posted on X.
