Prayagraj (Web Desk): A devastating tragedy unfolded at the Maha Kumbh Mela in northern India on Wednesday morning, when a deadly stampede claimed the lives of numerous pilgrims.
As millions of devotees gathered for the most auspicious day of the Hindu festival, a chaotic surge towards the sacred waters of the Ganga and Yamuna rivers turned deadly.
The stampede occurred as people rushed to the site where the rivers meet, an event believed to purify and cleanse the soul.
According to international media reports, by mid-afternoon, nearly 40 bodies had been reported to have arrived at the Moti Lal Nehru Medical College hospital’s morgue, though the official death toll had yet to be confirmed. Relatives of the victims crowded around the hospital, searching for their loved ones among the deceased.
A police source confirmed that all those brought in had died in the stampede. One of the most harrowing aspects of the aftermath was the chaotic scenes outside the morgue, where families anxiously awaited the return of their loved ones.
Witnesses described scenes of absolute panic as the dense crowd pressed towards the river, with some recounting that the crowd had suddenly stopped in its tracks, causing people to suffocate and collapse under the pressure.
In one account, a woman named Jagwanti Devi recalled how her family members were knocked down in the crush, with others stepping on them in their desperate attempts to escape.
Another traveler, Saroja from Belagavi, blamed the authorities for the tragedy, saying police failed to manage the crowds properly.
At a nearby hospital, many injured individuals were treated for serious fractures, while others were declared dead upon arrival, some having suffered from heart attacks due to the stress and overcrowding. The conditions had been exacerbated by the intense heat and close quarters.
Prime Minister Modi extended his condolences to the grieving families, though the exact number of casualties remained unclear.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath suggested that the stampede was triggered by some individuals attempting to breach the barricades meant to control the crowd.
Meanwhile, opposition leaders were quick to criticize what they saw as government mismanagement, particularly the prioritization of VIPs and the lack of proper crowd control measures. Rahul Gandhi of the Congress party condemned the focus on high-profile figures while common devotees were left to face the consequences.
This stampede is not the first such tragedy at the Kumbh Mela. A similar incident occurred during the 2013 festival, when dozens of people lost their lives in a similar surge of human traffic.
Despite efforts to improve crowd control using technology and additional security personnel, the sheer scale of the event and the overwhelming number of attendees remain constant challenges.
As more than 100 million people were expected to attend the festival on this particular day alone, the incident highlights the need for better planning and safety measures to prevent future tragedies.
