Sudha Devi survived India's most deadly accident in more than a decade.
On Tuesday, at least 122 people were crushed to death at a religious ceremony in Uttar Pradesh, most of them women.
Ms Devi, 30, and her four-year-old son Evansh attended the gathering in Hathras in India’s northern state to hear sermons from a popular “godman” when a commotion started in the crowd.
She passed out then recovered to find herself buried under scores of people, gasping for breath.
“I became unconscious. When I regained my senses, my son was not with me. Some people were screaming that this woman was dead. They were throwing water on my face. I was crying and asking them where my son was,” Ms Devi told The National.
Some people helped her to her feet.
“I frantically started looking for Evansh everywhere, even checked where some children were sitting but I could not find him,” she said.
“I was hitting my head in frustration and just collapsed on the ground. Then somebody came and dropped him in my lap. He was dead.”
Tuesday's journey was a long-awaited outing for Ms Devi from neighbouring Kasganj district, who has been a devout follower of policeman-turned-Hindu preacher Narayan Sakar Hari, known as Bhole Baba.
She said a commotion began after the sermon ended and some women started running after the preacher.
“I thought I could keep away from the crowd but they pulled me down with them,” she said.
Conflicting accounts about what led to the incident have emerged. One said that of a group of women ran after the preacher to seek his blessings.
Initial police investigations blamed an uncontrolled crowd for the incident. The government has ordered a high-level investigation to determine the cause of so many deaths.
More than 250,000 people, nearly three times the permitted number, had gathered for the congregation at the open-air venue in Hathras, about 200km south of New Delhi.
India is a deeply religious nation, with hundreds of millions of people practising their faith daily, including large numbers of people who attend such sermons hosted by preachers and godmen to seek blessings.
Ms Devi said that she had attended at least five events where Bhole Baba preached, but Tuesday’s gathering was the first when a crowd had grown beyond capacity.
“I always took Evansh with me because he was the youngest of my four children. I did not know he would not come back home.
“I had never seen such a crowd at any of Baba’s past events.”
The Uttar Pradesh police on Wednesday filed a criminal case against the organisers, accusing them of flouting event regulations.
The authorities had provided permission for a gathering of 80,000 people.
Mr Hari has not been named in the complaint.
However, police have been unable to find and interview him at his ashrams.
The police report also stated that volunteers “were carrying sticks and stopped the crowd”.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday met survivors and the families of people who died, and suggested the crush may have been the result of a conspiracy.
“The organisers tried to cover up the incident but most of them ran away after police arrived. We have formed a special investigation team. There are several angles that need to be investigated,” Mr Adityanath said.
“This cannot just be an accident. If it is an accident, then who is responsible, and if it is not just an accident, then who is the conspirator?
“We will have a judicial inquiry as well which will be led by a retired high court judge.”
He also said that the government would bring in protocols for such events to avoid more tragedies.
“This will not happen again … we will ensure that,” Mr Adityanath said.
He has announced compensation of 200,000 rupees ($2,400) each to the families of the deceased and 50,000 rupees ($600) for relatives of those injured.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also announced a compensation package.
The incident has aroused public anger against the preacher and the authorities for their failure to make adequate arrangements for so many people.
“The Baba is absconding. He must come forward and meet the survivors and say what happened. The authorities also failed to control the situation. There were not enough security arrangements,” Rahuraj Singh, 50, a labourer, told The National.
Mr Singh and his wife Nandini Devi narrowly escaped the crush.
“Bodies were strewn, some were smeared in mud. Some people were taking the injured in their cars. I feel lucky to have survived but I am distraught.”
The couple had been disciples of Bhole Baba for more than a decade, but the incident has shaken their belief.
“My wife was a believer and she used to take me with her. But now, after this incident, I have understood that this is all deception,” Mr Singh said.
India has a grim record of crowd management, and such accidents are common.
At least 115 devotees were killed in 2013 during a crush at a temple in Madhya Pradesh.
In 2008, at least 224 pilgrims were crushed to death at a hilltop temple in western Rajasthan, where more than 400 were injured.
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Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The years Ramadan fell in May
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The five pillars of Islam
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4pm: Maiden (Dirt) Dh165,000 1,600m
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5.45pm: Handicap (D) Dh190,000 1,200m
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Winner: Azmaam, Jim Crowley, Musabah Al Muhairi.
6.55pm: Handicap (D) Dh190,000 1,400m
Winner: Bochart, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
7.30pm: Handicap (T) Dh190,000 2,000m
Winner: Rio Tigre, Mickael Barzalona, Sandeep Jadhav.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
Company profile
Name: Thndr
Started: October 2020
Founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: pre-seed of $800,000
Funding stage: series A; $20 million
Investors: Tiger Global, Beco Capital, Prosus Ventures, Y Combinator, Global Ventures, Abdul Latif Jameel, Endure Capital, 4DX Ventures, Plus VC, Rabacap and MSA Capital
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Barcelona v Liverpool, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE).
Second leg
Liverpool v Barcelona, Tuesday, May 7, 11pm
Games on BeIN Sports
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Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
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Citizenship-by-investment programmes
United Kingdom
The UK offers three programmes for residency. The UK Overseas Business Representative Visa lets you open an overseas branch office of your existing company in the country at no extra investment. For the UK Tier 1 Innovator Visa, you are required to invest £50,000 (Dh238,000) into a business. You can also get a UK Tier 1 Investor Visa if you invest £2 million, £5m or £10m (the higher the investment, the sooner you obtain your permanent residency).
All UK residency visas get approved in 90 to 120 days and are valid for 3 years. After 3 years, the applicant can apply for extension of another 2 years. Once they have lived in the UK for a minimum of 6 months every year, they are eligible to apply for permanent residency (called Indefinite Leave to Remain). After one year of ILR, the applicant can apply for UK passport.
The Caribbean
Depending on the country, the investment amount starts from $100,000 (Dh367,250) and can go up to $400,000 in real estate. From the date of purchase, it will take between four to five months to receive a passport.
Portugal
The investment amount ranges from €350,000 to €500,000 (Dh1.5m to Dh2.16m) in real estate. From the date of purchase, it will take a maximum of six months to receive a Golden Visa. Applicants can apply for permanent residency after five years and Portuguese citizenship after six years.
“Among European countries with residency programmes, Portugal has been the most popular because it offers the most cost-effective programme to eventually acquire citizenship of the European Union without ever residing in Portugal,” states Veronica Cotdemiey of Citizenship Invest.
Greece
The real estate investment threshold to acquire residency for Greece is €250,000, making it the cheapest real estate residency visa scheme in Europe. You can apply for residency in four months and citizenship after seven years.
Spain
The real estate investment threshold to acquire residency for Spain is €500,000. You can apply for permanent residency after five years and citizenship after 10 years. It is not necessary to live in Spain to retain and renew the residency visa permit.
Cyprus
Cyprus offers the quickest route to citizenship of a European country in only six months. An investment of €2m in real estate is required, making it the highest priced programme in Europe.
Malta
The Malta citizenship by investment programme is lengthy and investors are required to contribute sums as donations to the Maltese government. The applicant must either contribute at least €650,000 to the National Development & Social Fund. Spouses and children are required to contribute €25,000; unmarried children between 18 and 25 and dependent parents must contribute €50,000 each.
The second step is to make an investment in property of at least €350,000 or enter a property rental contract for at least €16,000 per annum for five years. The third step is to invest at least €150,000 in bonds or shares approved by the Maltese government to be kept for at least five years.
Candidates must commit to a minimum physical presence in Malta before citizenship is granted. While you get residency in two months, you can apply for citizenship after a year.
Egypt
A one-year residency permit can be bought if you purchase property in Egypt worth $100,000. A three-year residency is available for those who invest $200,000 in property, and five years for those who purchase property worth $400,000.
Source: Citizenship Invest and Aqua Properties
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
PSG's line up
GK: Alphonse Areola (youth academy)
Defence - RB: Dani Alves (free transfer); CB: Marquinhos (€31.4 million); CB: Thiago Silva (€42m); LB: Layvin Kurzawa (€23m)
Midfield - Angel di Maria (€47m); Adrien Rabiot (youth academy); Marco Verratti (€12m)
Forwards - Neymar (€222m); Edinson Cavani (€63m); Kylian Mbappe (initial: loan; to buy: €180m)
Total cost: €440.4m (€620.4m if Mbappe makes permanent move)
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
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MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
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Transmission: 10-speed automatic
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Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
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Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
The Birkin bag is made by Hermès.
It is named after actress and singer Jane Birkin
Noone from Hermès will go on record to say how much a new Birkin costs, how long one would have to wait to get one, and how many bags are actually made each year.
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SPECS
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