More than seven people were reportedly killed and around 10 injured in a stampede at the Maha Kumbh Mela in northern India on Wednesday, said an official, as tens of millions gathered to take a holy dip on the most auspicious day of the six-week Hindu festival.Drone footage showed millions of devotees, shoulder to shoulder, arriving in the pre-dawn dark at the temporary township in Prayagraj for the holy dip in a river to mark the most auspicious day of the Maha Kumbh Mela, reported international news agency Reuters.
Video and photographs after the stampede showed bodies being taken away on stretchers and people sitting on the ground crying, while others stepped over a carpet of discarded belongings left by people as they tried to escape the stampede.A Reuters witness saw several dead bodies as he followed dozens of ambulances rushing towards the river bank where the incident occurred.”More than seven people have been killed in the stampede and around 10 others injured,” said an official who did not want to be named because he was not authorised to speak to the media. Officials said an initial stampede which occurred around 1 a.m. local time (1930 GMT) was “not serious”, but its cause was unclear.However, witnesses said devotees trying to escape it were caught in another stampede at an exit. They then returned towards the pontoon bridges looking for another way out only to find it had been closed by authorities.”I saw many people falling and getting walked on by the crowd…many children and women getting lost, crying for help,” said a devotee. A Rapid Action Force (RAF) – a special unit called in during crisis situations – had been deployed to bring the situation under control and rescue efforts were underway, officials said.Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and called for “immediate support measures”, reported news agency ANI, in which Reuters has a minority stake.Adityanath also appealed to people to take a dip at the nearest river bank rather than trying to reach the confluence of three rivers where the festival is being held.
