An official reports that a stampede at India's Maha Kumbh event killed over seven people.
January 29, PRAYAGRAJ (Reuters) - As tens of millions gathered to take a sacred dip on the most auspicious day of the six-week Hindu festival, a stampede at the Maha Kumbh Mela in northern India on Wednesday resulted in over seven fatalities and about ten injuries, according to an official.Millions of devotees arrived shoulder to shoulder in the predawn darkness at the temporary township in Prayagraj, according to drone footage, for the sacred dip at the meeting point of the Ganga, Yamuna, and the fabled, invisible Saraswati.
Following the stampede, footage and photos showed individuals laying on the ground sobbing and bodies being removed on stretchers. Others stepped over a carpet of abandoned blankets, shoes, bags, and clothing that people had left behind as they attempted to flee the crowd.
As he followed dozens of ambulances racing towards the riverbank where the event took place, a Reuters witness noticed multiple dead bodies.
According to an official who wished to remain anonymous due to his lack of authorization to address the media, "more than seven people have been killed in the stampede and around 10 others have been injured."
There was only one stampede, according to officials, and it happened at roughly 1 a.m. local time (1930 GMT). The cause was not known.
When there was a massive rush close to the junction of the three rivers, where a holy dip is thought to be most hallowed, witnesses reported that devotees began falling on one another.
"On one side were police officers brandishing batons, while on the other side were barricades. Vijay Kumar, who traveled from the eastern city of Patna for the celebration, claimed, "The push from behind was very powerful,...people started falling."
"There were people lying all around, I don't know if they were dead or alive."
She and her mother were among those who fell, a woman who was in the crowd but would not provide her name said news agency ANI. "People continued to tread on us. "My mother passed away, but I'm safe," she remarked.
According to officials, rescue operations were in progress and a Rapid Action Force (RAF), a specialized squad called in during emergencies, had been sent in to put the situation under control.
According to ANI, in which Reuters holds a minority ownership, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and provided "directions for normalization of the situation and relief."
Additionally, Adityanath urged people to avoid attempting to approach the confluence and instead take a plunge at the closest riverbank.
He posted on messaging app X, saying, "All of you should follow the instructions of the administration and cooperate in making arrangements," while the faithful continued to take holy dips in other locations throughout the expansive makeshift city.
Nearly 200 million people have already attended the Hindu festival, which is the greatest human gathering in the world, in the two weeks leading up to Tuesday.
Next month, Modi was also anticipated to attend the festival.
The holy dip, which is regarded as the most auspicious day because of a rare alignment of celestial bodies after 144 years, was expected to draw a record 100 million people to Prayagraj's temporary township on Wednesday.
After the incident, the 'royal bath' was "put on hold" for a while before continuing.
"Half-baked arrangements, VIP movement, paying more attention to self-promotion than management, and mismanagement" were the reasons given by Mallikarjun Kharge, the president of India's biggest opposition Congress party, in a post on X.
He urged the Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party to "improve the arrangements" in both the federal and state administrations.
To accommodate the massive crowd, authorities had taken a number of steps, including as hiring more security and medical staff and setting up special buses and trains.
The crowds were also controlled by AI software.
At least 36 pilgrims, largely women, were killed in a similar stampede that occurred on the festival's most auspicious day in 2013.
Use the Reuters India File newsletter to stay up to date on India's latest news and its global significance. Register here.
Following the stampede, footage and photos showed individuals laying on the ground sobbing and bodies being removed on stretchers. Others stepped over a carpet of abandoned blankets, shoes, bags, and clothing that people had left behind as they attempted to flee the crowd.
As he followed dozens of ambulances racing towards the riverbank where the event took place, a Reuters witness noticed multiple dead bodies.
According to an official who wished to remain anonymous due to his lack of authorization to address the media, "more than seven people have been killed in the stampede and around 10 others have been injured."
There was only one stampede, according to officials, and it happened at roughly 1 a.m. local time (1930 GMT). The cause was not known.
When there was a massive rush close to the junction of the three rivers, where a holy dip is thought to be most hallowed, witnesses reported that devotees began falling on one another.
"On one side were police officers brandishing batons, while on the other side were barricades. Vijay Kumar, who traveled from the eastern city of Patna for the celebration, claimed, "The push from behind was very powerful,...people started falling."
"There were people lying all around, I don't know if they were dead or alive."
She and her mother were among those who fell, a woman who was in the crowd but would not provide her name said news agency ANI. "People continued to tread on us. "My mother passed away, but I'm safe," she remarked.
According to officials, rescue operations were in progress and a Rapid Action Force (RAF), a specialized squad called in during emergencies, had been sent in to put the situation under control.
According to ANI, in which Reuters holds a minority ownership, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and provided "directions for normalization of the situation and relief."
Additionally, Adityanath urged people to avoid attempting to approach the confluence and instead take a plunge at the closest riverbank.
He posted on messaging app X, saying, "All of you should follow the instructions of the administration and cooperate in making arrangements," while the faithful continued to take holy dips in other locations throughout the expansive makeshift city.
Nearly 200 million people have already attended the Hindu festival, which is the greatest human gathering in the world, in the two weeks leading up to Tuesday.
Next month, Modi was also anticipated to attend the festival.
The holy dip, which is regarded as the most auspicious day because of a rare alignment of celestial bodies after 144 years, was expected to draw a record 100 million people to Prayagraj's temporary township on Wednesday.
After the incident, the 'royal bath' was "put on hold" for a while before continuing.
"Half-baked arrangements, VIP movement, paying more attention to self-promotion than management, and mismanagement" were the reasons given by Mallikarjun Kharge, the president of India's biggest opposition Congress party, in a post on X.
He urged the Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party to "improve the arrangements" in both the federal and state administrations.
To accommodate the massive crowd, authorities had taken a number of steps, including as hiring more security and medical staff and setting up special buses and trains.
The crowds were also controlled by AI software.
At least 36 pilgrims, largely women, were killed in a similar stampede that occurred on the festival's most auspicious day in 2013.
Use the Reuters India File newsletter to stay up to date on India's latest news and its global significance. Register here.
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