Tragedy struck at the world's largest religious festival, the Maha Kumbh Mela, in Prayagraj, India, as a crowd crush resulted in multiple feared deaths on Wednesday. Tens of millions of devotees had gathered to bathe in the sacred rivers on one of the most significant days of the Hindu festival.
The incident occurred after a barrier broke, leading to chaos and panic among the attendees. While Indian authorities have not confirmed the exact number of casualties, reports indicate that several people were injured and taken to hospitals for treatment.
Witnesses reported seeing lifeless bodies near the river bank where the tragedy unfolded, with images showing emergency responders carrying the injured on stretchers through the massive crowds. The scene was described as chaotic, with families being separated and individuals getting caught in the stampede.
Mauni Amavasya, a crucial day of the Maha Kumbh Mela festival, was marked by devotees seeking spiritual purification by bathing in the holy waters of the Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati rivers. The festival, expected to draw around 100 million Hindu followers, is a significant event in the religious calendar.
Despite efforts to enhance safety measures, such as increased police presence and surveillance technology, crowd crushes at religious gatherings in India remain a recurring issue. Past incidents have underscored the challenges of managing large crowds and ensuring public safety during such events.
The tragic events at the Maha Kumbh Mela serve as a somber reminder of the risks associated with mass gatherings and the importance of robust crowd control measures to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
