Hathras (UP), "Only the poor suffer this fate, not the rich," says Rajkumari Devi as she sits in an ambulance next to the body of her sister-in-law Ruby, who died in the Hathras stampede.
Rajkumari, who came here along with her husband from Unnao district, is yet to come to terms with her loss and she is also worried about Ruby's five-year-old son, who is missing.
"We haven't found him yet. More members of our family are on their way to Hathras," she said, sitting outside the government hospital mortuary here, about 400 kilometers from her home.
When asked if she had any demand from the government, Rajkumari replied: "What do we say now? There is nothing (to ask for). Only the poor suffer this fate, not the rich."
Ruby, 35, and her youngest son were among around 60 people who had come to attend the 'satsang' led by 'baba' Narayan Hari, also known as Saakar Vishwa Hari Bhole Baba.
"She was married to a family in Buxar area of Unnao. I live in Lalganj area of Raebareli. My daughter had come to my house and we came together for satsang," said 65-year-old Chhedi Lal.
"There were about 60 people with us and we came in two buses," she said, bursting into tears intermittently as she sat next to her daughter's body in the ambulance.
Ruby has left behind two daughters and a son. The boy, who accompanied her to the religious congregation, has been missing since the stampede broke out.
"The men and women were sitting separately in the congregation. Baba came around 12:30 and left for about an hour and that's when the stampede broke out," Chhedi Lal said.
"He was crowded. It took me some time to get my bearings before I could call her on the phone. I called her but couldn't get through," she said.
"Since Tuesday afternoon I started looking for her, going from one place to another. I didn't know what happened to her and her son. I arrived at this hospital today morning only to find my daughter dead and my grandson missing." , he added. .
Chhedi Lal said that some of her family members have already reached Hathras while others are on their way.
“The bus we came in dropped me at Sikandra Rau yesterday and everyone else who came with us left,” she said.
When asked about the government's announcement to compensate victims' relatives, the father said: "My daughter is no longer here."
A stampede at a religious congregation on Tuesday killed 121 people, most of them women, as worshipers suffocated to death and bodies piled on top of each other in the worst tragedy of its kind in recent years.
The stampede took place when the 'satsang' here was ending. Some accounts said people slipped in the mud as they ran after the preacher's car, causing the stampede.
More than 2.5 lakh devotees had gathered at Phulrai village of Hathras district for the 'satsang'.
Rajkumari, who came here along with her husband from Unnao district, is yet to come to terms with her loss and she is also worried about Ruby's five-year-old son, who is missing.
"We haven't found him yet. More members of our family are on their way to Hathras," she said, sitting outside the government hospital mortuary here, about 400 kilometers from her home.
When asked if she had any demand from the government, Rajkumari replied: "What do we say now? There is nothing (to ask for). Only the poor suffer this fate, not the rich."
Ruby, 35, and her youngest son were among around 60 people who had come to attend the 'satsang' led by 'baba' Narayan Hari, also known as Saakar Vishwa Hari Bhole Baba.
"She was married to a family in Buxar area of Unnao. I live in Lalganj area of Raebareli. My daughter had come to my house and we came together for satsang," said 65-year-old Chhedi Lal.
"There were about 60 people with us and we came in two buses," she said, bursting into tears intermittently as she sat next to her daughter's body in the ambulance.
Ruby has left behind two daughters and a son. The boy, who accompanied her to the religious congregation, has been missing since the stampede broke out.
"The men and women were sitting separately in the congregation. Baba came around 12:30 and left for about an hour and that's when the stampede broke out," Chhedi Lal said.
"He was crowded. It took me some time to get my bearings before I could call her on the phone. I called her but couldn't get through," she said.
"Since Tuesday afternoon I started looking for her, going from one place to another. I didn't know what happened to her and her son. I arrived at this hospital today morning only to find my daughter dead and my grandson missing." , he added. .
Chhedi Lal said that some of her family members have already reached Hathras while others are on their way.
“The bus we came in dropped me at Sikandra Rau yesterday and everyone else who came with us left,” she said.
When asked about the government's announcement to compensate victims' relatives, the father said: "My daughter is no longer here."
A stampede at a religious congregation on Tuesday killed 121 people, most of them women, as worshipers suffocated to death and bodies piled on top of each other in the worst tragedy of its kind in recent years.
The stampede took place when the 'satsang' here was ending. Some accounts said people slipped in the mud as they ran after the preacher's car, causing the stampede.
More than 2.5 lakh devotees had gathered at Phulrai village of Hathras district for the 'satsang'.
