Stampede Claims 15 Lives At India’s Largest Religious Festival
At least 15 people have been killed in a stampede at the Kumbh Mela festival in northern India, with many others injured, AFP reports.
The incident occurred in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, on Wednesday, during the world’s largest religious gathering, where millions of devotees had gathered to take a ritual dip at the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna, and mythical Saraswati rivers.
A doctor treating survivors confirmed the death toll but requested anonymity as they were not authorized to speak to the media.
Authorities have yet to officially confirm the fatalities, but the stampede reportedly took place around 1:00 a.m. local time.
Pilgrim Renu Devi, 48, described the chaos, saying, “I was sitting near a barricade, and during the pushing and shoving, the entire crowd fell on top of me, trampling me as it moved forward. When the crowd surged, elderly people and women were crushed, and no one came forward to help.”
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Rescue teams worked with pilgrims to carry victims from the accident site, weaving through piles of clothes, shoes, and other discarded belongings.
Police were seen carrying bodies on stretchers covered with thick blankets.
Dozens of relatives waited anxiously outside a large tent serving as a hospital for the festival, seeking information about their loved ones.
Wednesday marked one of the holiest days of the festival, with saffron-clad holy men leading millions in a procession for sin-cleansing ritual bathing.
Instead, officials patrolled the festival site with loudhailers, pleading with pilgrims to avoid the disaster site and use other sections of the river.
A festival staffer announced through a megaphone, “We humbly request all devotees do not come to the main bathing spot. Please cooperate with security personnel.”
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath acknowledged the difficulties in managing the crowd, saying, “It’s difficult to control such a huge number.”
Railway official Manish Kumar confirmed that several special train services had been halted due to massive crowding at Prayagraj.
Some devotees, shaken by the tragedy, chose to leave the festival early. Sanjay Nishad, an attendee, said, “I heard the news and saw the bathing site. My family got scared, so we’re leaving.”
The Kumbh Mela, held every 12 years, is rooted in Hindu mythology, symbolizing a battle between deities and demons over a pitcher containing the nectar of immortality.
Organizers estimate that up to 400 million pilgrims will visit the festival before it concludes on February 26.
Despite enhanced security measures, including hundreds of surveillance cameras and drones feeding into a command center designed to monitor crowd density, the latest tragedy highlights ongoing safety concerns.
In 1954, over 400 people were trampled or drowned in a single day at the Kumbh Mela, marking one of the deadliest crowd disasters in history.
Another 36 were crushed to death in 2013, the last time the festival was held in Prayagraj.
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