Police personnel assisting a victim of stampede, during the Maha Kumbh Mela festival in Prayagraj on Jan 29, 2025. - AFP
NEW DELHI: At least 30 people were killed on Wednesday (Jan 29) when a stampede broke out at the world's largest religious festival in India, according to the police.
In addition, 60 visitors to the Maha Kumbh Mela were injured, said Vaibhav Krishna, the official responsible for security at the festival in the northern Indian city of Prayagraj.
Wednesday marked one of the festival's "royal bathing" days, when up to 100 million attendees were expected.
The Maha Kumbh Mel festival is held on the banks of the Ganges in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh.
The incident occurred early in the morning near the confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers.
Many pilgrims had been waiting to enter the river for a ritual washing when the catastrophe occurred, Krishna said.
Barricades set up for safety purposes gave way amid a crowd surge, causing panic as visitors fell to the ground.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his sympathy on the platform X for the people who "have lost their family members."
Millions of Hindu pilgrims take a dip in the holy waters where the rivers converge during the month-and-a-half-long festival. Devotees believe this ritual will absolve them of all sins and stop the cycle of rebirth.
Stampedes are not uncommon at India's major religious gatherings. During the 2013 Maha Kumbh Mela, 36 people were killed in a similar incident. - dpa
