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Observer
30-01-2025
- Politics
- Observer
30 dead, 90 injured in India festival stampede
Prayagraj: Police said on Wednesday that 30 people had been killed and 90 injured in an early morning stampede at the Kumbh Mela, a Hindu mega-festival in India's northern city of Prayagraj. "Thirty devotees have unfortunately died," senior police officer Vaibhav Krishna told a news conference. "Ninety injured were taken to the hospital." As pilgrims rushed to participate in a sacred day of ritual bathing, people sleeping and sitting on the ground near the rivers told AFP they were trampled by huge swells of devotees coming towards them in the darkness. "The entire crowd fell on top of me, trampling me as it moved forward," pilgrim Renu Devi, 48, said. "When the crowd surged, elderly people and women were crushed, and no one came forward to help." Rescue teams carrying victims from the accident site weaved through piles of clothes, shoes and other discarded belongings. Police were seen carrying stretchers bearing the bodies of victims draped with thick blankets. Prime Minister Narendra Modi confirmed people had died in the incident, calling it "extremely sad" and offering his "deepest condolences" to relatives of those killed. "I wish for the speedy recovery of all injured," he added. Dozens of relatives were anxiously waiting for news outside a large tent serving as a purpose-built hospital for the festival near the disaster site. The six-week Kumbh Mela is the single biggest milestone on the Hindu religious calendar. Wednesday marks one of the holiest days in the festival, when saffron-clad holy men typically lead millions in a sin-cleansing ritual of bathing at the confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers. Instead, officials were strolling the festival with loudhailers pleading with pilgrims to keep away from the disaster site and bathe at other locations. "We humbly request all devotees do not come to the main bathing spot," said one festival staffer, his voice crackling through his megaphone. But even as news of the stampede spread, crowds pushed through cordons to move towards the riverbed, shrugging off aggressive orders from police to turn back. Officials from the Uttar Pradesh state government, responsible for staging the festival, said millions continued to bathe in the hours after the stampede. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath told reporters that medical workers were treating those seriously injured in the crush, adding that the situation was "under control". Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi blamed the disaster on poor crowd control that prioritised the comfort of distinguished visitors. "Mismanagement and the administration's special focus on VIP movement instead of common devotees are responsible for this tragic incident," he wrote on social media. Railway police superintendent Ashtabhuja Singh told AFP that special train services taking pilgrims to Prayagraj were still running, after earlier reports that they had been halted due to crowding in the city. "My family got scared, so we're leaving," attendee Sanjay Nishad said.
Express Tribune
30-01-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
30 dead at India's Kumbh Mela stampede
PRAYAGRAJ, INDIA: A pre-dawn stampede at the world's largest religious gathering killed at least 30 people in India on Wednesday, with many more injured after a surging crowd spilled out of a police cordon and trampled bystanders. Deadly crowd incidents are a frequent occurrence at Indian religious festivals, including the Kumbh Mela, which attracts tens of millions of devotees every 12 years to the northern city of Prayagraj. As pilgrims rushed to participate in a sacred day of ritual bathing, people sleeping and sitting on the ground near the rivers told AFP they were trampled by huge swells of devotees coming towards them in the darkness. "The entire crowd fell on top of me, trampling me as it moved forward," pilgrim Renu Devi, 48, told AFP. "When the crowd surged, elderly people and women were crushed, and no one came forward to help." Rescue teams carrying victims from the accident site weaved through piles of clothes, shoes and other discarded belongings. Police were seen carrying stretchers bearing the bodies of victims draped with thick blankets. "Thirty devotees have unfortunately died," senior police officer Vaibhav Krishna told reporters during an evening news conference at the festival. "Ninety injured were taken to the hospital." Krishna's briefing came nearly 18 hours after the stampede and was the first official death toll given by authorities. Festivities had otherwise been allowed to continue almost as normal during the day, with millions still trekking to the riverbanks to immerse themselves in the water. Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the stampede "extremely sad" and offered his "deepest condolences" to relatives of those killed. "I wish for the speedy recovery of all injured," he added. Dozens of relatives were anxiously waiting for news outside a large tent serving as a purpose-built hospital for the festival near the disaster site. The six-week Kumbh Mela is the single biggest milestone on the Hindu religious calendar. Wednesday marks one of the holiest days in the festival, when saffron-clad holy men lead millions in a sin-cleansing ritual of bathing at the confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers in tandem with a planetary alignment in the Solar System. Officials had attempted to divert crowds away from the disaster site, instructing them to bathe at other locations. "We humbly request all devotees do not come to the main bathing spot," said one festival staffer, his voice crackling through his megaphone. "Please cooperate with security personnel." But even as news of the stampede spread, crowds pushed through cordons to move towards the river, shrugging off aggressive orders from police to turn back. Officials from the Uttar Pradesh state government, responsible for staging the festival, said millions had participated in the ritual bathing through the day. Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi blamed the disaster on poor crowd control that prioritised the comfort of distinguished visitors. "Mismanagement and the administration's special focus on VIP movement instead of common devotees are responsible for this tragic incident," he wrote on social media. Railway police superintendent Ashtabhuja Singh told AFP that special train services taking pilgrims to Prayagraj were still running, after earlier reports that they had been halted due to crowding in the city. "My family got scared, so we're leaving," attendee Sanjay Nishad told AFP. The Kumbh Mela is rooted in a mythological Hindu battle between deities and demons for control of a pitcher containing the nectar of immortality.
CBS News
29-01-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Stampede at India's Kumbh Mela Hindu mega-festival leaves at least 30 people dead, police say
Prayagraj, India — A pre-dawn stampede at the world's largest religious gathering killed at least 30 people in India on Wednesday, with many more injured after a surging crowd spilled out of a police cordon and trampled bystanders. Deadly crowd incidents are a frequent occurrence at Indian religious festivals, including the Kumbh Mela, which attracts tens of millions of devotees every 12 years to the northern city of Prayagraj. As pilgrims rushed to participate in a sacred day of ritual bathing, people sleeping and sitting on the ground near the rivers told AFP they were trampled by huge swells of devotees coming towards them in the darkness. "The entire crowd fell on top of me, trampling me as it moved forward," pilgrim Renu Devi, 48, told AFP. "When the crowd surged, elderly people and women were crushed, and no one came forward to help." Rescue teams carrying victims from the accident site weaved through piles of clothes, shoes and other discarded belongings. Police were seen carrying stretchers bearing the bodies of victims draped with thick blankets. "Thirty devotees have unfortunately died," senior police officer Vaibhav Krishna told reporters during an evening news conference at the festival. "Ninety injured were taken to the hospital." Krishna's briefing came nearly 18 hours after the stampede and was the first official death toll given by authorities. Festivities had otherwise been allowed to continue almost as normal during the day, with millions still trekking to the riverbanks to immerse themselves in the water. Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the stampede "extremely sad" and offered his "deepest condolences" to relatives of those killed, adding his wishes "for the speedy recovery of all injured." Dozens of relatives were anxiously waiting for news outside a large tent serving as a purpose-built hospital for the festival near the disaster site. The six-week Kumbh Mela is the single biggest milestone on the Hindu religious calendar. Wednesday marks one of the holiest days in the festival, when saffron-clad holy men lead millions in a sin-cleansing ritual of bathing at the confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers in tandem with a planetary alignment in the Solar System. Officials had attempted to divert crowds away from the disaster site, instructing them to bathe at other locations. "We humbly request all devotees do not come to the main bathing spot," said one festival staffer, his voice crackling through his megaphone. "Please cooperate with security personnel." But even as news of the stampede spread, crowds pushed through cordons to move towards the river, shrugging off aggressive orders from police to turn back. Officials from the Uttar Pradesh state government, responsible for staging the festival, said millions had participated in the ritual bathing through the day. Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi blamed the disaster on poor crowd control that prioritised the comfort of distinguished visitors. "Mismanagement and the administration's special focus on VIP movement instead of common devotees are responsible for this tragic incident," he wrote on social media. Railway police superintendent Ashtabhuja Singh told AFP that special train services taking pilgrims to Prayagraj were still running, after earlier reports that they had been halted due to crowding in the city. "My family got scared, so we're leaving," attendee Sanjay Nishad told AFP. The Kumbh Mela is rooted in a mythological Hindu battle between deities and demons for control of a pitcher containing the nectar of immortality. Organizers have likened the scale of this year's festival to a temporary country, forecasting up to 400 million pilgrims would visit before the final day on February 26. Police this year installed hundreds of cameras at the festival site and on roads leading to the sprawling encampment, mounted on poles and a fleet of overhead drones. The surveillance network feeds into a sophisticated command and control centre meant to alert staff if sections of the crowd get so concentrated that they pose a safety threat. "If you see advertisements it seems like the government is providing world class facilities," university student Ruchi Bharti told AFP not far from the riverbank. "But this stampede proved that was all a lie." More than 400 people died after they were trampled or drowned at the Kumbh Mela on a single day of the festival in 1954, one of the largest tolls in a crowd-related disaster globally. Another 36 people were crushed to death in 2013, the last time the festival was staged in Prayagraj.
Khaleej Times
29-01-2025
- Politics
- Khaleej Times
India: At least 30 dead at Kumbh Mela stampede
A pre-dawn stampede at the world's largest religious gathering killed at least 30 people in India on Wednesday, with many more injured after a surging crowd spilled out of a police cordon and trampled bystanders. Deadly crowd incidents are a frequent occurrence at Indian religious festivals, including the Kumbh Mela, which attracts tens of millions of devotees every 12 years to the northern city of Prayagraj. As pilgrims rushed to participate in a sacred day of ritual bathing, people sleeping and sitting on the ground near the rivers told AFP they were trampled by huge swells of devotees coming towards them in the darkness. "The entire crowd fell on top of me, trampling me as it moved forward," pilgrim Renu Devi, 48, told AFP. "When the crowd surged, elderly people and women were crushed, and no one came forward to help." Rescue teams carrying victims from the accident site weaved through piles of clothes, shoes and other discarded belongings. Police were seen carrying stretchers bearing the bodies of victims draped with thick blankets. "Thirty devotees have unfortunately died," senior police officer Vaibhav Krishna told reporters during an evening news conference at the festival. "Ninety injured were taken to the hospital." Krishna's briefing came nearly 18 hours after the stampede and was the first official death toll given by authorities. Festivities had otherwise been allowed to continue almost as normal during the day, with millions still trekking to the riverbanks to immerse themselves in the water. Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the stampede "extremely sad" and offered his "deepest condolences" to relatives of those killed. "I wish for the speedy recovery of all injured," he added. Dozens of relatives were anxiously waiting for news outside a large tent serving as a purpose-built hospital for the festival near the disaster site. The six-week Kumbh Mela is the single biggest milestone on the Hindu religious calendar. Wednesday marks one of the holiest days in the festival, when saffron-clad holy men lead millions in a sin-cleansing ritual of bathing at the confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers in tandem with a planetary alignment in the Solar System. Officials had attempted to divert crowds away from the disaster site, instructing them to bathe at other locations. "We humbly request all devotees do not come to the main bathing spot," said one festival staffer, his voice crackling through his megaphone. "Please cooperate with security personnel." But even as news of the stampede spread, crowds pushed through cordons to move towards the river, shrugging off aggressive orders from police to turn back. Officials from the Uttar Pradesh state government, responsible for staging the festival, said millions had participated in the ritual bathing through the day. Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi blamed the disaster on poor crowd control that prioritised the comfort of distinguished visitors. "Mismanagement and the administration's special focus on VIP movement instead of common devotees are responsible for this tragic incident," he wrote on social media. Railway police superintendent Ashtabhuja Singh told AFP that special train services taking pilgrims to Prayagraj were still running, after earlier reports that they had been halted due to crowding in the city. "My family got scared, so we're leaving," attendee Sanjay Nishad told AFP. The Kumbh Mela is rooted in a mythological Hindu battle between deities and demons for control of a pitcher containing the nectar of immortality. Organisers have likened the scale of this year's festival to a temporary country, forecasting up to 400 million pilgrims would visit before the final day on February 26. Police this year installed hundreds of cameras at the festival site and on roads leading to the sprawling encampment, mounted on poles and a fleet of overhead drones. The surveillance network feeds into a sophisticated command and control centre meant to alert staff if sections of the crowd get so concentrated that they pose a safety threat. "If you see advertisements it seems like the government is providing world class facilities," university student Ruchi Bharti told AFP not far from the riverbank. "But this stampede proved that was all a lie." More than 400 people died after they were trampled or drowned at the Kumbh Mela on a single day of the festival in 1954, one of the largest tolls in a crowd-related disaster globally. Another 36 people were crushed to death in 2013, the last time the festival was staged in Prayagraj.
Al Jazeera
29-01-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Deadly crowd crush at India's Mahakumbh Mela: All to know
Several people have been killed with many more injured after a deadly crowd crush at the world's largest religious gathering at the Mahakumbh Mela in northern India's Prayagraj city. Yogi Adityanath, chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, the state in which Prayagraj is located, said on Wednesday morning that the crush occurred after pilgrims rushed to participate in an early morning bathing ritual, jumping over barricades aimed at controlling crowds during the event. Near the river, pilgrim Renu Devi, 48, told the AFP news agency that they were sitting near a barricade during the incident, and the 'entire crowd fell on top of me, trampling me as it moved forward'. 'When the crowd surged, elderly people and women were crushed, and no one came forward to help,' Devi added. According to Adityanath, by 8am local time on Wednesday, about 30 million people had taken a holy dip. Here's everything we know about the crowd crush: What happened? Witnesses told the Reuters news agency that there was a huge push near the three rivers that are considered holy, which caused the worshippers to fall on each other at 1am (19:30 GMT). Vijay Kumar, who attended the festival, told Reuters after the incident, 'There were people lying all around, I don't know if they were dead or alive.' An unnamed woman who was part of the crowd told the Indian news agency, ANI, that people 'kept stepping' on her and her mother when they fell in the crush. 'I am safe, but my mother has died,' she said. So far, authorities have not yet confirmed the death toll, but local media has reported that at least 10 people have been killed. What is the holy ceremony? The Kumbh Mela, which translates as the 'Festival of the Sacred Pitcher', is the world's largest religious festival. According to local officials, up to 400 million people are expected to take part in the six-week-long event. The festival, a confluence of spirituality and astrology, is celebrated in a 12-year cycle at four sacred sites. There are six auspicious days within the six weeks, but the four most important are January 14, January 29, February 3, and February 26. Devotees believe that taking a dip in Prayagraj, where three rivers considered sacred in Hinduism – the Ganges, the Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati – meet, will absolve them of sins and liberate them from the cycle of life and death. By rotation, the ceremony is held every four years in the cities of Prayagraj, Haridwar, Ujjain and Nasik. For the current event, Prayagraj has built a tent city with electricity, water, 3,000 kitchens and 11 hospitals to accommodate visitors. Police have also installed hundreds of cameras on the festival site and roads, which are meant to alert staff if the crowds become so large that they pose a safety threat. Have major public figures performed the bathing ceremony? Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Home Minister Amit Shah have taken dips in the Ganges in recent days. Indian billionaire and founder of the Adani Group, Gautam Adani, has also attended. According to local media, Coldplay's lead singer, Chris Martin, and his girlfriend, actress Dakota Johnson, are also visiting the Kumbh Mela. What has been the response to the stampede? On Wednesday morning, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on X that the accident was 'extremely sad'. 'My deepest condolences to the devotees who have lost their loved ones in this. Along with this, I wish for the speedy recovery of all the injured. The local administration is engaged in helping the victims in every possible way,' he wrote. Local officials said paramilitary forces had been deployed to control the situation, and rescue efforts were under way. While opposition leader Rahul Gandhi expressed his condolences to those who lost loved ones during that stampede, he blamed what he called 'VIP culture' during the rituals for the incident. 'Mismanagement, mismanagement and administration's special focus on VIP movement instead of common devotees are responsible for this tragic incident,' Gandhi wrote on X. 'VIP culture should be curbed and the government should make better arrangements to meet the needs of common devotees,' he added. Has this happened before? Yes, in 2013, the last time the festival was hosted in Prayagraj, at least 36 people were killed in a crowd crush at a railway station. That same year, at least 115 people were killed in a crush at the Ratangarh temple in Madhya Pradesh after a bridge collapsed. In 2008, 145 people died after a panicked crowd pushed people over a ravine near the Himalayan temple of Naina Devi.
