A tragic crowd crush at the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj on Wednesday left multiple people feared dead as tens of millions of devotees gathered to bathe in the sacred rivers on one of the most significant days of the festival.
The incident occurred after a barrier collapsed amid a massive surge of pilgrims, according to Akanksha Rana, a special executive officer overseeing the festival. While authorities have yet to confirm the number of casualties, initial reports indicate that several individuals sustained injuries and were rushed to nearby hospitals for medical attention. Officials continue to assess the full extent of the disaster.
Eyewitnesses described scenes of chaos as panic spread through the crowd, with people desperately attempting to escape the crush. Some reported being pushed aggressively as they lost balance and fell, adding to the severity of the situation. Emergency response teams and security personnel were seen assisting the injured while ambulances transported victims to medical facilities.
The tragic event unfolded on Mauni Amavasya, a day regarded as one of the holiest occasions of the Maha Kumbh Mela. Pilgrims from across the globe had assembled to take a ritual dip at the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati rivers in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh.
With an estimated 100 million visitors expected on this auspicious day alone, and over 400 million anticipated throughout the six-week-long festival, authorities had previously implemented extensive security measures. More than 1,000 police officers were deployed to manage crowd control, alongside a network of 2,700 AI-powered security cameras monitoring key locations. Aerial and underwater drones were also introduced for enhanced surveillance.
Despite these preparations, crowd-related disasters have been a recurring issue at large religious gatherings in India. The latest tragedy serves as a grim reminder of past incidents, such as the 2013 stampede at a railway station in Allahabad, which resulted in numerous fatalities during that year’s Kumbh Mela.
Authorities are currently investigating the circumstances leading up to the collapse of the barrier and are expected to announce additional safety measures to prevent further tragedies in the ongoing festival.
GLiDE NEWS will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available.
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