A pre-dawn stampede at the world’s largest religious gathering killed at least 15 people in India on Wednesday, with many more injured after a surging crowd spilled out of a police cordon and trampled bystanders.
The incident, which occurred at the Kumbh Mela in the northern city of Prayagraj, was reported by Agence France-Presse.
Deadly crowd incidents are a frequent occurrence at Indian religious festivals, including this pilgrimage, which attracts tens of millions of devotees every 12 years.
As pilgrims rushed to participate in a sacred day of ritual bathing, those sleeping and sitting on the ground near the rivers told AFP they were trampled by huge swells of devotees coming toward them in the darkness.
“I was sitting near a barricade, and during the pushing and shoving, the entire crowd fell on top of me, trampling me as it moved forward,” said pilgrim Renu Devi, 48, in an interview with AFP.
“When the crowd surged, elderly people and women were crushed, and no one came forward to help.”
Rescue teams carrying victims from the accident site navigated through piles of clothes, shoes, and other discarded belongings. Police officers were seen carrying stretchers with the bodies of victims, covered in thick blankets.
“At least 15 people” were killed, with dozens more injured, a doctor at a hospital treating survivors told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to talk to the media.
Authorities have yet to officially confirm the number of fatalities in the stampede, which took place around 1:00 a.m. (1930 GMT Tuesday).
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences, calling the accident “extremely sad.” He added, “I wish for the speedy recovery of all injured.”
Dozens of anxious relatives waited outside a large tent serving as a temporary hospital for the festival, located approximately one kilometer (0.6 miles) from the disaster site.
The six-week Kumbh Mela is considered the most significant event on the Hindu religious calendar. Wednesday marked one of the holiest days of the festival, when saffron-clad holy men lead millions of pilgrims in a sin-cleansing ritual of bathing at the confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers.
Instead, festival officials used loudhailers to urge pilgrims to avoid the disaster site and instead bathe at other locations.
“We humbly request all devotees do not come to the main bathing spot,” one festival staffer announced via megaphone. “Please cooperate with security personnel.”
The Uttar Pradesh state government, responsible for organizing the festival, stated that millions had already participated in the ritual bathing between midnight and early morning.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath told reporters that medical teams were treating those seriously injured in the crush, and assured that the situation was “under control.”
Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi blamed poor crowd management for the tragedy, accusing authorities of prioritizing VIP comfort over public safety.
“Mismanagement and the administration’s special focus on VIP movement instead of common devotees are responsible for this tragic incident,” he wrote on social media.
Railway official Manish Kumar reported that numerous special train services scheduled to transport pilgrims had been halted due to overwhelming crowding at Prayagraj.
Some attendees opted to leave the city early.
“I heard the news and saw the bathing site,” attendee Sanjay Nishad told AFP. “My family got scared, so we’re leaving.”
The Kumbh Mela is rooted in Hindu mythology, symbolizing a battle between deities and demons for control of a pitcher containing the nectar of immortality. This year’s festival is expected to draw up to 400 million pilgrims before it concludes on February 26.
To mitigate risks, authorities installed hundreds of surveillance cameras at the festival grounds and along roads leading to the encampment. These are connected to a command and control center designed to identify overcrowded areas and issue alerts.
Despite these measures, stampedes have occurred in past Kumbh Mela gatherings. More than 400 people died on a single day in 1954 after being trampled or drowned. In 2013, the last time the festival was held in Prayagraj, 36 people were crushed to death.
