Six arrested over India stampede disaster

NEW DELHI: Indian police said on Thursday they had arrested six people over a stampede at a Hindu religious event in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh this week in which 121 people were killed.

The incident occurred on Tuesday in the village of Phulrai Mughal Garhi in Hathras district where about 250,000 people had gathered to listen to preacher Suraj Pal Singh, also known as “Bhole Baba”.

Organisers of the event had obtained permission for a gathering of only 80,000 people, an initial police report said.