In a heartbreaking turn of events, a festive gathering turned into tragedy when a stampede at the Maha Kumbh Mela in India claimed the lives of over 30 devotees and left around 90 injured on Wednesday.
The incident occurred as millions of pilgrims flocked to the sacred rivers for a \"holy dip,\" a ritual believed to cleanse sins and bring salvation. Witnesses described a sudden surge in the crowd, causing many to fall and others to suffocate in the chaos.
Uttar Pradesh's Chief Minister, Yogi Adityanath, announced a judicial probe into the disaster, stating, \"The government has decided that a judicial inquiry of the incident will be done… The judicial commission will look into the entire matter and submit its report to the state government within a time limit.\"
Wednesday alone saw more than 76 million people converge at the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati rivers in Prayagraj. Since the festival began two weeks ago, nearly 280 million devotees have participated, with numbers expected to reach 400 million by the festival's end.
The Maha Kumbh Mela, held every 12 years, is not just any festival—it's the world's largest human gathering, dwarfing events like the Haj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. Yet, this immense scale brings significant challenges in crowd management.
Opposition leaders and local media have criticized the festival's organization, calling for improved safety measures. As the Hindustan Times noted, \"There is much scope for improving crowd management at the Kumbh… Better planning is needed—using both ground resources and modern technology.\"
With three more 'royal dips'—special dates considered particularly sacred—scheduled before the festival concludes, authorities face mounting pressure to prevent further tragedies.
Our hearts go out to the victims and their families. 💔 Let's hope for safer gatherings in the future.
Reference(s):
India orders probe into Hindu festival stampede that killed dozens
cgtn.com
