Tragedy at the Maha Kumbh Mela: Dozens Killed in Pre-Dawn Stampede
Tragedy Strikes at the World’s Largest Gathering of Humanity
Dozens of people were killed in a pre-dawn stampede at the Maha Kumbh Mela in northern India on Wednesday, as tens of millions gathered to take a dip in sacred river waters on the most auspicious day of a six-week Hindu festival.
Casualty Numbers Still Unofficial
Bodies were still being brought to the local Moti Lal Nehru Medical College hospital morgue more than 12 hours after the tragedy, although authorities were yet to officially announce the casualty numbers. Nearly 40 bodies were brought to the morgue, three police sources told Reuters. A Reuters witness counted 39 bodies inside the morgue. One of the three police sources and a fourth officer said all 39 were stampede victims.
Eyewitness Accounts
Some witnesses spoke of a huge push that caused devotees to fall on each other, while others said closure of routes to the water brought the dense crowd to a standstill and caused people to collapse due to suffocation. "There was commotion, everybody started pushing, pulling, climbing over one another. My mother collapsed…then my sister-in-law. People ran over them," said Jagwanti Devi, 40, as she sat in an ambulance with the bodies of her relatives.
Police Response
Senior police officer Vaibhav Krishna said when he was reached for comment that police could not give the official numbers because they were busy with crowd management. Distraught relatives queued up to identify those killed by the stampede, which occurred when crowds surged towards the confluence of three rivers, where immersion is considered particularly sacred.
Government Response
Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered condolences to "devotees who have lost their loved ones", without specifying the number of dead. Yogi Adityanath, chief minister of Uttar Pradesh state where the festival city of Prayagraj is located, said the stampede was set off when some devotees tried to jump barricades put up to manage crowds.
Opposition Blames Government
Opposition parties blamed the stampede on what they called the government’s "mismanagement" and "VIP culture". "VIP culture should be curbed and the government should make better arrangements to meet the needs of common devotees," Rahul Gandhi, leader of main opposition Congress party, said on X, referring to politicians and celebrities being treated differently.
Festival Background
The Hindu festival is expected to draw some 400 million people overall, according to officials, compared with the Haj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia which drew 1.8 million last year. By Tuesday, nearly 200 million people had attended the festival since it started two weeks ago, officials said, adding that more than 57 million people had taken a holy dip until 4 p.m. (1030 GMT) on Wednesday alone.
Conclusion
The Maha Kumbh Mela is a significant religious event in Hinduism, and the tragedy that occurred on this auspicious day is a devastating reminder of the importance of crowd management and safety measures during such large-scale events.
FAQs
Q: How many people were killed in the stampede?
A: The exact number of casualties is still unknown, but reports suggest nearly 40 bodies were brought to the morgue, with all 39 of them being confirmed as stampede victims.
Q: What caused the stampede?
A: Witnesses reported a huge push that caused devotees to fall on each other, while others said closure of routes to the water brought the dense crowd to a standstill and caused people to collapse due to suffocation.
Q: What was the government’s response to the tragedy?
A: Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered condolences to "devotees who have lost their loved ones", while Yogi Adityanath, chief minister of Uttar Pradesh state, said the stampede was set off when some devotees tried to jump barricades put up to manage crowds.