Several reported killed in crush at India’s Mahakumbh religious festival

The assemblage crush occurred astatine the world’s largest spiritual event, attended by hundreds of millions of people.

More than 7 radical – and perchance arsenic galore arsenic 15 – person been killed, and galore much injured, successful a assemblage crush astatine the world’s largest religious festival successful bluish India, according to reports.

Witnesses counted respective bodies, and a doc astatine the festival tract successful the metropolis of Prayagraj successful Uttar Pradesh told the AFP quality bureau that 15 radical were killed successful the crush adjacent a stream slope aboriginal connected Wednesday morning.

“More than 7 radical person been killed successful the stampede, and astir 10 others injured,” an official, who did not privation to beryllium named due to the fact that helium was not authorised to talk to the media, told the Reuters quality agency.

Footage of rescue teams carrying victims distant from the spiritual tract showed clothes, shoes and different discarded belongings strewn each implicit the ground, arsenic constabulary officers carried stretchers bearing the bodies of victims draped with blankets to waiting ambulances.

The last decease toll is yet to beryllium confirmed and relatives of injured victims were anxiously waiting for quality extracurricular a ample structure serving arsenic a purpose-built infirmary for the festival astir a kilometre (half a mile) from the mishap site.

Hindu devotees look for their belongings aft a assemblage crush astatine the Mahakumbh Mela festival successful Prayagraj, India, connected January 29, 2025 [Sharafat Ali/Reuters]

A Rapid Action Force (RAF) – a peculiar portion called successful during crises – had been deployed to the country to bring the concern nether control, and rescue efforts were nether way, officials said.

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and gave “directions for normalisation of the concern and relief”, the ANI quality bureau reports.

The Mahakumbh Mela, oregon Great Pitcher Festival, is the azygous biggest milestone connected the Hindu spiritual calendar, and up to 400 cardinal pilgrims were expected to sojourn earlier the festival’s last time connected February 26.

The festival is being held connected a 10,000-acre tract (4,046 hectares) wherever makeshift tents person been constructed to accommodate pilgrims. Wednesday marks 1 of the holiest days successful the six-week festival, with beatified men owed to pb pilgrims successful a procession of sin-cleansing bathing astatine the confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers successful Prayagraj.

Officials with loudhailers had urged pilgrims to support distant from the h2o arsenic the crush started successful the aboriginal hours of Wednesday morning.

“We humbly petition each devotees bash not travel to the main bathing spot,” 1 festival staffer said, his dependable crackling done his megaphone. “Please cooperate with information personnel.”

Held each 12 years successful 4 locations – Prayagraj, Haridwar, Nashik and Ujjain – Hindus judge the festival is an accidental for them to lavation their sins distant arsenic they stitchery connected the banks of ineffable rivers to instrumentality portion successful a time of ritual bathing.

Deadly assemblage crushes regularly hap astatine Indian spiritual festivals, and the Mahakumbh – often called simply the Kumbh – boasts a grim way grounds for deadly incidents.

More than 400 radical died connected a azygous time of the festival successful 1954 aft being trampled oregon drowned, successful what remains 1 of the deadliest incidents of its kind.

Another 36 radical were crushed to decease successful 2013 – the past clip the festival was staged successful Prayagraj.

Police this twelvemonth had installed hundreds of cameras astatine the festival tract and connected roads starring to the encampment, with a power centre meant to alert unit if sections of the assemblage became excessively dense and posed a information threat.

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Al Jazeera and quality agencies