Kumbh: At least 30 people were killed and many more injured in a tragic stampede during the Maha Kumbh Mela in northern India on Wednesday, the world’s largest religious gathering.
Police reported that 60 others were rushed to hospitals following the incident in Prayagraj city, which occurred as millions of Hindu pilgrims gathered to take part in a sacred ritual bath at the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna, and mythical Saraswati rivers.
Wednesday was an important day in the six-week Hindu festival, with authorities expecting up to 100 million devotees to participate in the ritual as Hindus believe that a dip in the holy waters can cleanse them of past sins and help end the cycle of reincarnation. The stampede took place when pilgrims, eager to participate, tried to jump over barricades put up for a procession of holy men, causing a surge in the crowd, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said.
The main attraction of the festival is the procession of thousands of ash-smeared Hindu ascetics, which draws large crowds.
