Several people were feared dead and many more injured in a stampede early Wednesday as tens of thousands of pilgrims rushed to take ritual baths in sacred rivers at the massive Maha Kumbh festival in northern India.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the incident “extremely sad” and extended his condolences without specifying how many had died.
Modi had made a post on His verified X account sympathizing with those whom were affected by the unfortunate incidence.
“My deepest condolences to the devotees who have lost their loved ones. Along with this, I wish for the speedy recovery of all the injured.” The P.M wrote
Yogi Adityanath, Uttar Pradesh state’s top elected official had in a televised statement revealed that the incidence happened in the early hour of Wednesday between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m. as the Hindus tried to jump barricades erected for the movement of religious saints.
Adityanath made no mention of any deaths even eight hours after the crush of pilgrims at the site.
“The situation is now under control, but there is a massive crowd of pilgrims, About 30 million people had taken the holy bath by 8 a.m. Wednesday.”
People’s belongings like clothes, blankets and backpacks were strewn around the scene of the stampede. It was not immediately clear what triggered the panic.
The top elected official added that nearly 150 million people have already attended, including the likes of Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and Home Minister Amit Shah and celebrities like Coldplay’s Chris Martin.
Millions continued to throng the site even as police officials appealed to pilgrims over megaphones to avoid the confluence. Adityanath urged people to instead take baths at other riverbanks.
Wednesday was a sacred day during the six-week festival, and authorities were expecting a record 100 million devotees to engage in a ritual bath at the confluence of the Ganges, the Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati rivers.
Hindus believe that a dip at the confluence will cleanse them of their past sins and end their process of reincarnation. The main draw are thousands of ash-smeared Hindu ascetics who make massive processions toward the confluence to bathe.
The Maha Kumbh festival, held every 12 years, started on Jan. 13 and is the world’s largest religious gathering. Authorities expect more than 400 million people to throng the pilgrimage site in total.
About 50,000 security personnel are stationed in the city to maintain law and order and manage crowds, and more than 2,500 cameras monitor crowd movement and density so officials can try to prevent such crushes.
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