Another Crowd Surge Causes Accident at Indian Hindu Festival... "At Least 15 Dead"

Fatal Accident Occurs as Barrier Collapses Near River

At the venue of the 'Kumbh Mela,' the world's largest religious festival and a Hindu festival held in India, a stampede occurred, resulting in at least 15 deaths.

Police gather in Prayagraj (formerly Allahabad), Uttar Pradesh, northern India, where a crush accident occurred. Photo by AFP

On the 29th (local time), local media and major foreign outlets including CNN reported that around 2 a.m., tens of thousands of people gathered simultaneously in Prayagraj (formerly Allahabad), Uttar Pradesh, northern India, walking along the riverbank to immerse themselves in the river. During this, a barrier near the river collapsed, causing the accident. As a result, 15 people died, dozens were injured, and some of the injured are reported to be in critical condition. Some local media estimate that dozens have died. Additionally, at the time of the accident, people were crowding the site, and some are still reported missing.

The organizers ultimately canceled the scheduled events for the day. Authorities expect a total of 450 million visitors during the festival period. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed his condolences on his social media accounts.

'Kumbh Mela' opened on the 13th of last month in Prayagraj. During this event, Hindu pilgrims perform rituals such as immersing themselves at the confluence of the sacred Ganges, Yamuna, and Saraswati rivers (the latter being a mythical river that does not actually exist). Hindus believe that by immersing themselves, they wash away their sins, escape the cycle of reincarnation, and ultimately achieve liberation (moksha). Although there are several auspicious days for immersion during the festival, the period from late afternoon on January 28 to the morning of January 29 was considered the most favorable.

Stampedes are relatively common at religious events in India. In July last year, a stampede at a Hindu event in Uttar Pradesh resulted in 116 deaths. In 2013, a stampede also occurred at a train station in Allahabad when pilgrims gathered for the 'Kumbh Mela,' resulting in dozens of deaths.

Authorities deployed police officers and over 2,700 security cameras equipped with artificial intelligence throughout the city in preparation for the event. Additionally, they deployed underwater drones capable of diving up to 100 meters, not only for aerial surveillance but also underwater monitoring.