15 killed in stampede at Kumbh Mela in India

At least 15 people have died in a stampede at the Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, India. Many more were injured in the incident. It is initially believed that this happened when people sleeping on the banks of the city’s river were trampled by other people who were going to bathe.

The news agency AFP reported this information on Wednesday, quoting a doctor.

A doctor in the Kumbh Mela area, who did not want to be named, told AFP, “So far 15 people have died. The others are undergoing treatment.”

Rescue teams were seen removing the injured from the scene of the accident.

Meanwhile, BBC correspondents said that a rush situation was created in the area near the confluence of the rivers. Although the exact number of injured or killed in the incident is not known for sure, ambulances are still seen there.

10 ambulances left the scene in just five minutes at around 9 am Bangladesh time. The situation was similar three to four hours ago. At least 20 ambulances were seen leaving the area in just 15 minutes at around 5 am.

Today, Wednesday, is the holiest day of the Kumbh Mela, where millions of people take a holy dip at the confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers to wash away their sins.

Local government official Anksha Rana told the Press Trust of India (PTI) that the stampede occurred after a crowd control barricade broke.

Incidentally, deaths during mass gatherings have become common at religious festivals in India. Moreover, such incidents have been recorded at the Kumbh Mela before due to the participation of so many people.

In 2013, 36 people died in a stampede at the Kumbh Mela.

More than 400 people died in stampedes or drowning during the 1954 Kumbh Mela.

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