😢 A devastating stampede rocked the Maha Kumbh Mela Hindu festival in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, on Wednesday, resulting in the tragic loss of nearly 40 lives and injuring 90 others. This incident occurred as millions of devotees gathered for a \"holy dip\" in the sacred confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati rivers.
Indian authorities have swiftly ordered a thorough investigation into the tragedy. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced the formation of a three-member judicial commission to examine the circumstances that led to the crowd crush. \"The judicial commission will look into the entire matter and submit its report to the state government within a time limit,\" he stated.
The Maha Kumbh Mela is the world's largest religious gathering, with over 76 million people partaking in the holy dip on Wednesday alone. Since the event began two weeks ago, around 280 million devotees have attended, including federal ministers, industrialists, and celebrities. Comparatively, the Haj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia attracted 1.8 million people last year.
Devotees believe that bathing at the confluence of these three sacred rivers purifies them of sins and grants salvation from the cycle of birth and death. However, the massive influx of participants has raised concerns about crowd management and safety.
Opposition leaders have criticized the government's handling of the event, attributing the tragedy to poor planning and mismanagement. Local media outlets echo these sentiments, emphasizing the need for enhanced crowd control measures.
The Hindustan Times highlighted in an editorial that significant improvements are necessary to prevent future incidents. \"There is much scope for improving crowd management at the Kumbh,\" the newspaper stated. They called for increased personnel and the use of modern technology to better manage such large gatherings.
With three more \"royal dips\" scheduled in the coming weeks, authorities are under pressure to ensure the safety of millions more devotees attending this revered festival. 🙏
Reference(s):
India orders probe into Hindu festival stampede that killed dozens
cgtn.com
