Rahul Gandhi to visit Hathras following tragic stampede at religious meet

Thiruvananthapuram:Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is set to visit Hathras, where a devastating stampede claimed the lives of 121 people during a religious meet two days ago. This announcement was made by senior party leader K C Venugopal on Thursday.

K C Venugopal, Congress General Secretary (Organisation), described the incident as an "unfortunate incident." During his visit, Gandhi, who serves as the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, will meet  and interact with the affected families.

In response to the incident, the Uttar Pradesh government has initiated a judicial probe to uncover the causes and hold those responsible accountable. An FIR has been filed against the event's organizers, accusing them of concealing evidence and violating safety regulations.

The religious event, dedicated to Lord Shiva, took place in Ratibhanpur. Following the conclusion of the event, a stampede occurred, causing injuries to several attendees, including women and children.Most of the dead were women, according to state chief medical officer Umesh Kumar Tripathi, who told reporters "many injured" have been admitted to hospital.

Authorities reported that approximately 250,000 people attended the event, significantly exceeding the permitted capacity of 80,000. PTI