The world’s largest religious festival, the Maha Kumbh Mela in India, has seen at least 15 people killed as millions throng at the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna, and mythical Saraswati rivers
A horrifying stampede at the world’s largest religious festival has resulted in the brutal deaths of at least 15 people tonight. The horror took place early this morning as tens of thousands of Hindus rushed to take a holy bath in the river at the massive Maha Kumbh festival in Prayagraj city, northern India.
Distraught families were seen lining up outside a makeshift hospital, seeking information about their missing relatives, while rescuers aided the injured and police attempted to control the crowds. Personal belongings such as clothes, blankets, and backpacks were scattered around the scene of the stampede.
It remains unclear what sparked the panic or the exact number of casualties. While some local news outlets reported 10 fatalities, other sources suggest the death toll could be closer to 15 and may still rise.
Wednesday was considered a sacred day during the six-week festival, with authorities anticipating a record 100 million devotees participating in a ritual bath at the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna, and mythical Saraswati rivers. The main attraction of these ritualistic baths are the thousands of ash-smeared Hindu ascetics who arrive in grand processions to take a holy dip in the waters.
Despite the tragic incident, millions of Hindu pilgrims continued to flock to the site, undeterred, even as police officials urged them via megaphones to stay away from the confluence.
Yogi Adityanath, the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, has advised folks to steer clear of the confluence and opt for a holy dip at other riverbanks. On Twitter, without directly mentioning the recent stampede, Adityanath implored the public not to “pay attention to any rumours.”
The epic Maha Kumbh festival, which is celebrated every 12 years, kicked off on January 13 and is heralded as the world’s biggest religious congregation.
With expectations of more than 400 million devotees descending on the site, authorities crafted an extensive pop-up metropolis along the river’s edge. This temporary home for pilgrims boasts 3,000 kitchens and a staggering 150,000 toilets, all underpinned by necessary infrastructure such as roads, electricity, water, communication towers, and no less than 11 fully-functional hospitals.
The security arrangements are massive, with approximately 50,000 personnel on duty tasked with keeping order and managing the masses. Over 2,500 surveillance cameras, some boasting artificial intelligence capabilities, feed real-time data on crowd flow and density to four command centres, enabling officials to rapidly respond and dispatch teams to mitigate any risk of stampedes.
For the devout Hindus, immersing themselves at the sacred junction of three rivers – two physical and one celestial – promises a spiritual cleanse from historical wrongdoings and a break from the cycle of rebirth.
Indian officials are promoting this extraordinary event as the largest spiritual gathering on the planet. So far, nearly 150 million people have graced the festival, including Indian VIPs like Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and Home Minister Amit Shah, as well as international celebrities such as Coldplay frontman Chris Martin.
In 2013, a similar festival saw at least 40 pilgrims tragically lose their lives in a stampede at a train station in Prayagraj. Deadly stampedes are sadly not uncommon during Indian religious festivals, where large crowds gather in areas with poor infrastructure and minimal safety measures.
In July, a horrific incident occurred when at least 116 people, mostly women and children, died in a stampede at a religious gathering in Hathras town, northern India.
