By Miracle Ogunde
At least 15 people have reportedly lost their lives, with many others injured, following a stampede at India’s largest religious festival, the Kumbh Mela.
According to AFP, deadly crowd incidents are a recurring issue at Indian religious gatherings, particularly at the Kumbh Mela, which takes place every 12 years in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, drawing millions of devotees.
The six-week-long festival is the most significant event on the Hindu religious calendar, with millions of pilgrims making their way to the sacred confluence of rivers to partake in ritual bathing.
Pilgrim Renu Devi, 48, recounted the chaos, describing how a dense crowd moved down a promenade towards the rivers.
“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,” she told AFP.
“When the crowd surged, elderly people and women were crushed, and no one came forward to help.”
Rescue teams worked alongside pilgrims to carry victims from the scene, navigating through piles of clothing, shoes, and other abandoned belongings. Police were seen transporting stretchers bearing the bodies of victims, covered with thick blankets.
A doctor at a hospital treating the injured told AFP that “at least 15 people” had died, speaking anonymously as they were not authorised to speak to the media.
Authorities have yet to officially confirm any fatalities from the stampede, which occurred around 1:00 am local time (1930 GMT Tuesday).
Meanwhile, dozens of anxious relatives gathered outside a large tent that had been converted into a makeshift hospital, awaiting updates on their loved ones.
Wednesday marked one of the holiest days of the festival, with saffron-clad holy men leading millions of devotees in a ritual procession for sin-cleansing bathing at the confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers.
Instead, officials patrolled the festival grounds with loudhailers, urging pilgrims to avoid the disaster site and use alternative bathing areas.
“We humbly request all devotees do not come to the main bathing spot,” a festival staffer announced through a megaphone.
“Please cooperate with security personnel.”
The Uttar Pradesh state government reported that millions had already participated in the ritual bathing between midnight and early morning.
“It’s difficult to control such a huge number,” said Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
Railway official Manish Kumar stated that several special train services, scheduled to transport pilgrims, had been halted due to severe overcrowding in Prayagraj.
Fearing further chaos, some devotees opted to leave the city early.
“I heard the news and saw the bathing site,” festival attendee Sanjay Nishad told AFP.
“My family got scared, so we’re leaving.”
This year’s Kumbh Mela has been likened to a temporary nation, with organisers estimating up to 400 million pilgrims will visit before the festival concludes on 26 February.
Given the risks of deadly crowd incidents, authorities installed hundreds of surveillance cameras across the festival site and along key access roads, mounted on poles and drones.
This surveillance feeds into a central command centre designed to alert officials if crowd density reaches dangerous levels.
The Kumbh Mela has witnessed catastrophic tragedies in the past. In 1954, more than 400 people were trampled or drowned in a single day, marking one of the deadliest crowd disasters in history. More recently, in 2013, a stampede during the festival in Prayagraj left 36 people dead.
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