Stampede at India’s Kumbh Mela Festival Claims 15 Lives, Dozens Injured

By Staff, Agencies

A stampede at the Kumbh Mela festival in northern India has left at least 15 people dead and many others injured, according to a doctor at the scene.

The tragedy occurred during the world’s largest religious gathering, which attracts millions of Hindu devotees every 12 years to Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh.

The festival, which spans six weeks, is a major event on the Hindu religious calendar, with pilgrims traveling to take a holy dip at the confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers.

On Wednesday, Renu Devi, a 48-year-old pilgrim, described the chaos when a massive crowd moved along a promenade toward the river.

She recounted being trapped as the crowd surged forward, crushing elderly people and women in the process, with no one offering assistance.

Rescue teams worked through piles of abandoned belongings, carrying victims on stretchers. While a doctor at a nearby hospital reported at least 15 fatalities, authorities have not yet officially confirmed the death toll.

Relatives anxiously waited outside a temporary hospital for news of their loved ones.

The stampede took place around 1:00 a.m., as one of the holiest days of the festival approached, when holy men lead devotees in a cleansing ritual at the river.

Officials have urged pilgrims to avoid the main bathing spot, redirecting them to safer areas. Authorities were already facing challenges in managing the vast crowd, as millions of people had bathed in the rivers before dawn.

In response to the overcrowding, some train services transporting pilgrims were halted, and some attendees decided to leave early for safety reasons.

The Kumbh Mela is steeped in Hindu mythology, symbolizing a cosmic battle for immortality, and this year’s festival is expected to attract up to 400 million pilgrims.

Despite enhanced security measures, including surveillance cameras and drones, the Kumbh Mela has seen deadly crowd accidents in the past.

Over 400 people were killed in 1954, and 36 more died in 2013, highlighting the ongoing risks associated with such large-scale gatherings.