A tragic stampede at the Kumbh Mela, the world’s largest religious gathering in India, resulted in the deaths of at least 15 people and left many others injured, a doctor at the festival confirmed on Wednesday. The incident occurred in the early hours at the festival site in Prayagraj, where millions of devotees had gathered for a sacred day of ritual bathing.
According to an AFP report, rescue teams worked alongside pilgrims to carry victims from the scene, which was strewn with personal belongings left behind in the chaos. Police officers were seen transporting the deceased on stretchers, while worried relatives waited for updates outside a temporary hospital set up for the event.
Authorities believe the stampede started when some crowd control barriers collapsed, leading to panic among worshippers. Officials patrolled the site with loudspeakers, urging pilgrims to stay away from the main bathing area for safety reasons. Many attendees, shaken by the tragedy, decided to leave the festival early.
The Kumbh Mela, a deeply rooted Hindu tradition, attracts hundreds of millions of people over six weeks. Despite heightened security measures, crowd surges have been a recurring danger at past events. In 1954, over 400 people died in a similar incident, and in 2013, another 36 lives were lost.
Authorities continue to monitor the situation, emphasizing the importance of crowd control as the festival progresses.
