A tragic incident occurred early Wednesday at the world’s largest religious gathering, the Maha Kumbh Mela, in Prayagraj, India, resulting in multiple fatalities due to a crowd crush.
The event, which attracts millions of Hindu devotees every year, turned chaotic as people gathered to take a holy dip in the river on one of the most sacred days of the festival.
The incident occurred around 1:30 a.m. local time when a barrier near the river broke. As devotees surged toward the sacred waters at the Triveni Sangam, the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati rivers, a stampede-like situation ensued. Officials at a local hospital confirmed the arrival of 35 bodies, with the death toll expected to rise. In addition, around 20 people were treated for minor injuries. Indian authorities have yet to provide an official casualty count.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences, acknowledging the tragedy and sending his sympathies to the affected families. He also reassured the public that he remained in constant contact with the Uttar Pradesh state government. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also confirmed the situation was under control, though he noted that many devotees were seriously injured in the crush and taken to nearby hospitals.
The Maha Kumbh Mela, held every 12 years in Prayagraj, is a major pilgrimage that draws tens of millions of people. On the most auspicious day of the festival, Mauni Amavasya, followers gather in large numbers to purify themselves in the holy rivers, believing that the ritual absolves them of their sins. Witnesses to the tragedy reported seeing bodies near the riverbank, with some describing the chaotic scene as people struggled to escape the crush.
Security measures had been put in place ahead of the festival to manage the vast crowds. Authorities deployed additional police personnel, surveillance cameras powered by artificial intelligence, and drones to monitor the area. However, the overwhelming number of attendees, expected to number between 80 and 100 million, created significant pressure on the infrastructure, which contributed to the disaster.
The crowd disaster is a stark reminder of the challenges of managing large-scale religious events, especially in the face of such immense crowds. The Maha Kumbh Mela, while known for its peaceful gathering of millions, has seen similar tragedies in the past, including a deadly crowd crush in 2013.
CNN, the Wall Street Journal, and Reuters contributed to this report.
