At least seven people were killed and around 10 others injured in a stampede at the Maha Kumbh Mela in northern India on Wednesday, as tens of millions gathered to take a holy dip on the most auspicious day of the six-week Hindu festival, according to reports.
The incident occurred in Prayagraj, where devotees flocked to the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati rivers.
Drone footage captured the crowd of millions arriving in the pre-dawn darkness at the temporary township, shoulder to shoulder, for the sacred dip.
After the stampede, images and videos showed bodies being carried away on stretchers, with people crying on the ground, and discarded belongings—clothes, shoes, backpacks, and blankets—littering the area as people scrambled to escape.
A witness described seeing numerous dead bodies as ambulances rushed to the site of the incident, which occurred around 1 a.m. local time. The cause of the stampede remains unclear, though witnesses reported a massive push near the sacred river confluence, causing people to fall on top of one another.
“We had barricades in front of us and police with batons behind us. The push from behind was so powerful… people started falling,” said Vijay Kumar, a devotee from Patna. “There were people lying all around, I don’t know if they were dead or alive.”
One woman, who was also part of the crowd but didn’t give her name, said she and her mother fell during the stampede. “People kept stepping on us. I am safe, but my mother has died,” she said.
A Rapid Action Force (RAF) team was deployed to manage the situation and assist with rescue efforts. Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to direct relief and normalisation efforts. Adityanath later urged people to take a dip at the nearest riverbank, rather than making their way to the crowded confluence.
The incident came amid a larger-than-usual crowd at the festival, which attracts the world’s largest congregation of people. Authorities had already prepared for a record 100 million attendees on Wednesday, due to a rare celestial alignment.
In the aftermath of the tragedy, the festival’s ‘royal bath’ was briefly suspended but later resumed. Opposition leader Mallikarjun Kharge criticised the stampede, blaming “half-baked arrangements” and poor management for the disaster.
The festival, which has seen massive crowds for two weeks, has drawn prominent figures, including Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani. Modi is also expected to visit the festival next month.
A similar stampede occurred at the same festival in 2013, killing at least 36 people, mostly women.
