Police are searching for a prophet after a crowd crush at a religious gathering in northern India killed over a hundred people, mostly women, on Tuesday, July 2.
In one of the deadliest incidents the country has seen in recent years, most of the victims fell into an open sewer next to the venue.
Police are investigating the organizers, noting that 250,000 people arrived at the venue—more than three times the expected number—with only a few dozen police officers deployed.
Bhole Baba, the self-styled prophet who led the event, and the event organizers have been accused of culpable homicide not amounting to murder, wrongful restraint, and causing the disappearance of evidence or providing false information. Bhole Baba is known for reportedly ‘curing’ illness with ‘plain water’.
The disaster occurred during a prayer meeting, known as a satsang, in Mughal Garhi village in Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state.
At least 121 people died, and 35 others were injured, Sandeep Singh, the Minister of State for Education, told reporters on Wednesday. The crush happened when a large number of people rushed to touch Bhole Baba’s feet.
Almost all those killed were women, with at least seven children among the dead. About 72 bodies have been identified so far, and dozens of injured people are being treated in nearby hospitals, according to local health officials.
