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Seven people died and about 60 were injured after a temporary wooden structure collapsed at a religious event in Baraut city of this district on Tuesday, officials said.
The incident occurred at around 8 am during a programme organised for the 'Abhishek' of Lord Adinath on Shri Digambar Jain Degree College ground on Gandhi Road in Baraut, they said.
The event was part of the Moksha Kalyanak Nirvana Mahotsav of the Jain community under the aegis of Shri 1008 Adinath Bhaktaambar Prachar.
Of the injured, 20 were discharged after they were administered first aid while 39 are undergoing treatment at various hospitals, the officials said, adding that about 100 people were present at the event.
The wooden stairs of the 65-foot temporary stage built in the Maanstambh Complex broke due to which the devotees on the stage and standing near it fell down, police said.
A case has been registered against a contractor in connection with the incident, the officials said, adding a magisterial inquiry has been ordered.
Earlier in the day, District Magistrate Asmita Lal told reporters that five people were killed and 39 sustained injuries in the accident.
She added that the annual event has been held here for the last 30 years.
Later, Additional District Magistrate Pankaj Verma told PTI that two more people died during treatment, taking the toll to seven.
Some eyewitnesses claimed that the injured could not get immediate medical assistance and had to be taken to hospitals in e-rickshaws as there were no ambulances available.
A government spokesperson said that a case has been registered against the contractor who had made the wooden structure.
The district magistrate has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident, which will submit its reports in a week, the spokesperson said.
Superintendent of Police Arpit Vijayvargiya said permission was taken for the programme by the organisers. "We are probing the incident," he said.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath directed the district administration officials to ensure proper treatment of the injured and also wished a speedy recovery to them.
Meanwhile, panic gripped the area after the incident resulting in a stampede-like situation. Police personnel rushed to the scene and brought the situation under control.
According to those present at the event, the temporary stairs could not bear the weight of the crowd of devotees and gave way.
Meanwhile, Union minister Jayant Chaudhary visited the accident site and also met the injured persons undergoing treatment at a hospital here.
"It was a terrible accident. I went to see the injured people in the hospital. A number of people including policemen are injured. Every year, this (event) is organised," he said.
"It is a matter of probe that what went wrong. This (the issue) is being taken seriously, and the Chief Minister's Office is continuously monitoring it. Communication is being done with all the affected families," Chaudhary, who is also the Rashtriya Lok Dal chief, said.
The RLD in a post on X in Hindi said, 'The incident of collapse of the stage during Jain Nirvana Mahotsav in Baraut is extremely sad. The Rashtriya Lok Dal expresses condolences to the families of the devotees who died in this incident and wishes for the speedy recovery of the injured.'
The Samajwadi Party accused the state government of negligence.
'Due to government and administrative negligence and carelessness, there was no monitoring of crowd control at the religious festival...hundreds of devotees are reported to be injured and there is unconfirmed information of some casualties. We pray to God that everyone is safe,' the SP media cell said on X.
'Yogi government is concerned with putting on a spectacle in the name of religion but the people are not getting any facilities and security. There is no arrangement for crowd control and safety of devotees due to which accidents often happen at religious events...and the BJP-Yogi government washes its hands off,' it said.