At least 30 killed in crushes at Indian Mela pilgrimage

At least 30 people have been killed and dozens more injured in crowd crushes at the Maha Kumbh Mela in India, where millions have gathered to bathe at the confluence of sacred rivers.

- ALISHA RAHAMAN SARKAR

Tens of millions of people flocked to the northern state of Uttar Pradesh to immerse themselves in the water at the sacred confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers on one of the most auspicious days of the Hindu festival. Police in Prayagraj city said in a statement that 30 pilgrims were dead and at least another 60 people were injured and had been taken to hospital. That total is expected to rise.

The bodies were brought to a hospital morgue near the site of the festival in Prayagraj, three police sources told Reuters, putting the number at closer to 40. “More bodies are coming in. We have nearly 40 bodies here. We are transferring them out as well and handing them over to families one by one,” one of the sources said at the Moti Lal Nehru Medical College hospital.

The stampede happened when pilgrims tried to jump barricades erected for a procession of holy men, Uttar Pradesh state’s top elected official, Yogi Adityanath, said in a televised statement. The event’s main draw is the thousands of ash-smeared Hindu ascetics who make massive processions toward the confluence to bathe.

Indian authorities took more than 16 hours to release casualty figures, even as prime minister Narendra Modi acknowledged the loss of lives, calling the incident “extremely sad” and extending his condolences.

Videos showed bodies being taken away on stretchers and people sitting on the ground crying, while others stepped over a carpet of discarded belongings left by people as they tried to escape the stampede.

“I saw many people falling and getting walked on by the crowd... many children and women getting lost, crying for help,” Ravin, a devotee who gave only his first name, said.