Kumbh Mela, the largest religious assembly of the world, lead to the death of atleast 30 people as a result of a fatal crush.
The horrific incident took place during Kumbh Mela, held in India.
Officials have stated that the incident occurred on Wednesday morning in Prayagraj, northern India.
Devotees rushing for a sacred ritual bath led to the crush.
Many were trampled in the chaos, causing widespread panic.
Authorities reported at least 60 injured, with 90 transported to hospitals.
The casualty count took hours to be officially announced.
This delay drew reproaches from opposition politicians regarding a transparency problem.
PM Modi’s action
Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the bereaved families. He hoped a quick recovery for the injured people in the accident.
Eyewitnesses described the situation as chaotic and terrifying. Clothing, footwear, and personal items are scattered on the floor.
People desperately tried to escape, running in every direction. They fell upon and crushed by the crush of the throng.
Children were among those trampled in the rush of bodies. Videos and photos depicted people lying in the mud, with bodily injuries.
Ambulances zipped in and out of the sprawling tent city. Survivors searched for missing relatives among the chaos.
Affected families
A woman named Poonam Singh said she lost her entire family. Many waited anxiously at lost-and-found centers, hoping for news.
The main hospital was heavily guarded, restricting media access. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath confirmed serious injuries but avoided mentioning deaths.
The Prime Minister Modi admitted to deaths, but did not provide any numbers.
By the afternoon, over 50 million people had already been washed. The disaster did not stop the crowds from going on. Kumbh Mela is a festival which takes place on a cycle of 12 years.
It happens at Sangam, the place where three holy rivers converge. Hindus believe bathing in the river washes away sins. Pilgrims, saints, and political figures also take part in the spiritual event.
However, all in spite of the tragedy, people continued to be resolute in finishing off their procedures.
The festival’s largest bathing day witnessed record-breaking attendance. Officials’ calculations put the number of people in attendance at around 100 million.
Ash-covered ascetics performed the Shahi Snan, or royal bath. The festive merriments turned grim in the course of a few hours.
Alas, for several who arrived in high spirits they became bereaved. Reports emerged between 1: 00 and 2:00 AM about the stampede.
Witnesses reported that devotees were lying against barricades during the riot. A stampede of people resulted in a crush at the riverbanks. Survivors told of being pushed down, trampled and losing their family .
Somebody else lamented the loss of their money and possessions in the panic. However, paths were already overcrowded, leaving thousands stuck.
Pilgrims still kept arriving, unaware of the ongoing crisis. Security forces struggled to manage the overwhelming crowds.
Initially, ascetics planned to cancel their appearances after the disaster. Nevertheless, they later went ahead with scaled-down processions for their holy dip.
Plight of the affected families
Families continued searching for missing loved ones late into the night. Heartbroken relatives gathered near the scene, desperate for answers.
A woman, Anita Devi, searched long and hard for her husband.
She had lost his hand in the commotion and never saw him again. She worried about his health, as his medication was with her.
All the way along, she kept going back and forth through lost-and-found rooms and lost-cancellations, looking for a sign. Screams of grief echoed through the crowded festival grounds.
In India, crowd tramplings are common because of overpopulation at religious gatherings.
Only recently a mob crush claimed more than 120 lives in Uttar Pradesh. Authorities say control is now established at Kumbh Mela.
Whereas, it is pointed that the disaster is contributed to by insufficient planning and preferential treatment of VIPs.
Opposition’s take on incident
Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi accused the government of negligence. He stated that officials prioritized VIPs over ordinary pilgrims’ safety. Many attendees also criticized the lack of police presence at key locations.
Moreover, survivors asked about the lack of control over the swelling crowd by law enforces. Some even suggested that authorities should restrict attendance in the future.
