PARIS (AFP) – The stampede that killed at least 116 people on Tuesday at a Hindu religious gathering near Hathras, northern India, is among the worst crowd incidents in recent history.
Here are the deadliest stampedes and crushes in recent years:
Mecca: 2,300 dead
On September 24, 2015, a massive stampede on the site of the stoning of the devil ritual in Mina near Mecca during the annual pilgrimage caused around 2,300 deaths, the deadliest disaster in the hajj’s history.
Iran, which said 464 of its pilgrims were killed, accused Saudi Arabia of failing to organise the event properly.
Some pilgrims blamed the stampede on the closure of a road near the stoning site, claiming security forces mismanaged the flow of worshippers.
Cambodia: 351 dead
A stampede at the annual water festival in Phnom Penh left 351 people dead in November 2010.
The incident unfolded on an overcrowded bridge above the Mekong River, as millions of Cambodians flocked to the capital to watch firework displays and dragon boat races.
India: 224 dead
A crush at a temple in the northern town of Jodhpur killed 224 people in September 2008 during a religious gathering.
The collapse of a wall was blamed for causing panic among the crowd, leading to the deadly crush.
South Korea: 159 dead
On the night of October 29, 2022, 159 people were killed and around 150 injured in a crush in Seoul
They were among thousands of people attending a Halloween party in the narrow streets of a neighbourhood in the South Korean capital.
A police probe found massive failures in planning, and a botched and delayed response to the unfolding catastrophe.
India: 148 dead
A crush at a temple in Naina Devi in northern India killed 148 people, including several children, in August 2008.
Fear of a landslide is thought to have sparked panic among the crowd, with the situation worsened by a violent response from police officers.
Indonesia: 135 dead
On October 1, 2022, a stampede in a football stadium in Malang, East Java, killed 135 people, including more than 40 children.
Police had tried to fend off fans with tear gas and many panic-stricken victims were crushed or suffocated while trying to use closed or narrow exit doors.
India: at least 115 dead
At least 115 people died from crushing or drowning, and more than 110 were injured, at a religious festival close to a temple in the central Indian district of Datia in October 2013.
Around 20,000 people were on a bridge when the tragedy unfolded, caused by a rumour the structure was going to collapse, according to local authorities.
India: 102 dead
In January 2011, 102 people were killed in a crush sparked by a traffic accident during a Hindu pilgrimage in a remote mountainous area of the tourist-rich Kerala, in south-west India.
