Massive Maha Kumbh festival deaths in India: Several people feared dead in stampede
Massive Maha Kumbh festival deaths in India reported as several people taking part in the festive celebrations have lost their lives in a stampede.
Prayagraj, January 29, 2025 – A tragic stampede at the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj has left several people feared dead and many more injured. The incident occurred early Wednesday as an overwhelming number of Hindu devotees rushed to partake in the sacred ritual bath at the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati rivers, a key highlight of the festival.
Local media reported a scene of chaos with distressed families anxiously seeking news of their loved ones outside a makeshift hospital. Rescue teams were seen attending to the wounded amidst a scattered landscape of personal belongings, including clothes and backpacks. Although the exact trigger of the stampede remains unclear, some news outlets suggest that the death toll might have reached ten.
This year’s Maha Kumbh, which began on January 13 and is set to host over 400 million pilgrims, saw unprecedented numbers on this particularly sacred day, with estimates suggesting around 100 million attendees. The festival features elaborate processions of Hindu ascetics leading the way to the holy dip, an event that draws millions due to its spiritual significance.
Despite the calamity, the flow of pilgrims to the site continued unabated, even with police using megaphones to urge people to stay away from the congested areas. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took to the social platform X to advise devotees to bathe at alternative riverbanks rather than the main confluence, though he did not mention the stampede explicitly, instead cautioning against believing rumours.
The Maha Kumbh Mela is not only a spiritual event but also a logistical challenge, with authorities having set up a vast tent city equipped with extensive amenities like 3,000 kitchens, 150,000 toilets, and eleven hospitals. Security measures include over 50,000 personnel and a sophisticated surveillance system with more than 2,500 cameras, including AI-enhanced ones, to monitor crowd dynamics and prevent such tragedies.
This incident echoes a similar tragedy in 2013 at the same festival, where 40 pilgrims died in a stampede at a train station, underscoring the recurring safety issues at large religious gatherings in India. The problem of crowd control at these events was starkly highlighted again in July last year when 116 people perished in a stampede during a religious gathering in Hathras town.
The Maha Kumbh festival deaths reported are heart beaking and worrying to say the least.
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As the festival continues, the focus is now on ensuring the safety of the remaining pilgrims while investigations into the cause of this latest stampede are underway. The incident serves as a grim reminder of the challenges in managing massive human congregations, especially under the spiritual fervour of such revered religious festivals.
These Maha Kumbh festival deaths in India are heart wreacking and we wish all the families that have lost family members God’s help and strength.