More than seven people were killed and around 10 others injured in a stampede at the Maha Kumbh Mela in northern India on Wednesday, as millions gathered for a holy dip on the most auspicious day of the six-week Hindu festival, an official confirmed.
Drone footage captured massive crowds arriving before dawn at the temporary township in Prayagraj, where devotees sought to bathe at the confluence of three rivers—the Ganga, Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati.
In the aftermath of the stampede, video and photographs showed bodies being carried away on stretchers, while others sat crying on the ground. Scattered clothes, shoes, backpacks, and blankets littered the area as panicked devotees fled. A Reuters witness reported seeing multiple bodies while ambulances rushed to the riverbank, where the incident occurred.
“More than seven people have been killed in the stampede and around 10 others injured,” an official said, speaking anonymously as he was not authorised to address the media.
Authorities stated that the stampede took place around 1 a.m. local time (1930 GMT), though the exact cause remains unclear. Witnesses described a surge in the crowd near the river’s confluence, where a dip is considered particularly sacred, leading to chaos.
“We had barricades in front of us and police with batons on the other side. The push from behind was very powerful… people started falling,” said Vijay Kumar, a devotee from Patna. “There were people lying all around. I don’t know if they were dead or alive.”
One woman, speaking to news agency ANI, recounted how she and her mother were caught in the stampede.
“People kept stepping on us. I am safe, but my mother has died,” she said.
Officials said a Rapid Action Force (RAF) had been deployed to manage the situation, while rescue operations were underway.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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