Hathras stampede: Toll rises to 121, FIR registered against organisers

The death toll in the stampede at a religious congregation in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras has risen to 121, a senior official said on Wednesday.

According to the Office of the Relief Commissioner, the number of people injured in Tuesday's incident stands at 28.

Of the total fatalities, 19 are yet to be identified, it said.

The Uttar Pradesh Police on Wednesday registered an FIR against the organisers of the religious congregation.

On Tuesday Uttar Pradesh chief secretary Manoj Kumar Singh put the death toll at 116.

Barring seven children and a man, all the casualties were women.

The victims were part of the crowd of thousands that had gathered near Phulrai village in the Sikandrarau area for the 'satsang' by religious preacher Bhole Baba.

The stampede took place at around 3.30 pm when Baba was leaving the venue.

Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh Police today registered an FIR against the organisers of the religious congregation in Hathras.

'Mukhya sevadar' Devprakash Madhukar and other organisers have been named in the first information report (FIR) filed at the Sikandara Rao police station late Tuesday, a senior officer told PTI.

The FIR has been registered under 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), the officer said.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is likely to visit Hathras today, a senior government official said.

A team consisting of ADG Agra and Aligarh Divisional Commissioner has been constituted to inquire into the cause of the incident. The report is to be submitted within 24 hours, the government said in a statement on Tuesday.