Relatives of the victims near the hospital morgue in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh state, India, July 3. Photo: REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis

All six arrested individuals are aides of self-proclaimed godman Suraj Pal Singh and were involved in organising the event. According to Uttar Pradesh state police, when the incident occurred at a Hindu ceremony in the city of Hathras, about 200km southeast of New Delhi, all six people fled the scene.

The stampede is India’s worst tragedy in more than a decade. The number of attendees, about 250,000 people, three times larger than allowed, is considered the main cause.

According to police reports, the incident began just as the sermon ended and the crowd of devotees tried to approach the stage so they could touch preacher Suraj Pal Singh (also known as "Bhole Baba") as he stepped down from the podium.

Other sources said an intense dust storm caused panic as people were leaving the event. Many were trampled or fell on each other. Some fell into roadside drains.