The death toll from a stampede at a religious event in India on Sunday has risen to at least 121. Most of the dead were women and children, and officials said the crowd was three times the permitted number.

Twenty-eight people remain in hospital. Local authorities are investigating the incident. The event was held in the Hathras district, southeast of the capital New Delhi. A quarter of a million people attended a meeting of a religious leader.

Due to the huge crowds and lack of exits, things got ugly at the concert, which was held in a warm, humid tent. Thousands of people wanted to leave the tent at the same time afterward, but they slipped on the wet surface and were trampled.

The commotion arose when a group of devotees rushed to the religious leader Bholi Baba’s car to touch him afterwards. Some people tried to get away from the crowd but slipped and were trampled by the crowd.

According to experts, the event did not meet safety standards. “The meeting was held in a tent that was supposed to be without adequate exits,” a disaster management expert told the Associated Press. Authorities say the tent had only a small exit.

A local resident who helped carry the bodies after the incident criticized the religious leader: “He sat in his car and walked out while his followers fell on each other.”

Indian news agency NDTV wrote that Baba had previously been criticized for several lawsuits over sexual assault. NDTV also reported that com.satsangsReligious gatherings are considered controversial.

See photos after the incident here: