Witnesses describe surging crowds that crushed people on the banks of the Ganges as they arrived to take a dip at holy site
Police carry an injured person at the Maha Kumbh Mela festival in Prayagraj, India, where dozens are feared dead after a series of crowd crushes.Police carry an injured person at the Maha Kumbh Mela festival in Prayagraj, India, where dozens are feared dead after a series of crowd crushes.
More than 400 million people, the biggest crowd in its history, were expected to attend this year’s festivities, to be held over 45 days in Prayagraj in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh.Security personnel try to control the pilgrims near the site of a crowd crush at the Kumbh Mela festival in Prayagraj.Local officials counting casualties into hospital tents said at least 38 were feared dead but other officials and doctors have given death tolls ranging from 15 to 50.
Shoes and clothes could be seen strewn all over the ground where the crowd crushes happened, amid scenes of desperation at nearby hospitals where the injured and dead were brought “I saw people falling to the ground and shouting, and people started treading on each other. I tried to rescue as many people as possible but I could only get hold of my wife and another woman. I dragged them out. I saw around 20 bodies who were clearly dead on the floor who had been crushed and others were lying there injured crying out for help.”
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
India crowd crushes: dozens feared dead at Kumbh Mela religious festivalPilgrims are desperately searching for missing loved ones after deadly crushes in Prayagraj where world’s largest religious gathering is taking place
Read more »
India’s Maha Kumbh Mela festival gets under way for first time in 144 yearsThe grand version of the 12-yearly Hindu pilgrimage is expected to draw more than 400 million devotees
Read more »
At least 15 killed in stampede at India's Kumbh Mela festivalEmergency workers have been pictured ferrying people out of the festival on stretchers after a barrier broke, causing a stampede.
Read more »
Stampede at Maha Kumbh Festival in India Injures DozensA stampede at the Maha Kumbh festival in Prayagraj, India, resulted in dozens of injuries. The incident occurred as tens of thousands of devotees rushed to take a holy bath at the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna, and Saraswati rivers. Authorities are investigating the cause of the panic.
Read more »
Surrounded by Saffron: A Pilgrimage to the Kumbh MelaA firsthand account of attending the Kumbh Mela, one of the largest religious gatherings in the world, highlighting the spiritual significance, the logistical challenges, and the unique atmosphere of this extraordinary event.
Read more »
Kumbh Mela is the biggest gathering of humanity. Here's how India does itAt a confluence of holy rivers, Hindus believe that bathing during the Kumbh Mela washes away sins and breaks the cycle of rebirth. More than 400 million people will now descend on this Indian city.
Read more »