Stampede at Maha Kumbh Mela feared to have left dozens dead

Dozens of devotees are feared dead, and several others injured, following a stampede at the world’s largest religious gathering, Maha Kumbh Mela. The chaos erupted when a surging crowd broke through a police cordon, trampling commuters in the process.

The incident occurred in the wee hours on Wednesday when tens of millions gathered at the Ganges and Yamuna rivers.

According to eyewitness accounts, the worst crush took place when a large number of devotees attempted to bathe in the river, while others were sleeping on the congested riverbank.

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The stampede began as the surging crowd pushed against police barriers, causing them to collapse. Many devotees fell and were trampled in the chaos.

At one of the Mela's entrances, several people sustained injuries during the commotion.

“I was sitting near a barricade and during the pushing and shoving, the entire crowd fell on top of me, trampling me as it moved forward,” said 48-year-old pilgrim Renu Devi in an interview with AFP.

“When the crowd surged, elderly people and women were crushed, and no one came forward to help,” she added.

Authorities have yet to officially confirm the official death toll in the stampede but fear that the number of casulties could be higher than 15.

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The Indian government, which anticipated over 400 million attendees for the 45-day festival in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, heavily promoted the event under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In response to the tragic accident, Modi expressed his “deepest condolences” to the victims' families, calling the incident “extremely saddening.”

He also wished a speedy recovery for those injured.