At least seven people have been killed and about 10 injured in a stampede at the Maha Kumbh Mela in northern India, according to Reuters.
Tens of millions gathered to perform holy ablutions on the most auspicious day of the six-week Hindu festival. Devout Hindus believe that ablution at the junction of three sacred rivers – the Ganga, the Yamuna and the mythical, invisible Saraswati – frees people from sins.
The participants include Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Home Minister Amit Shah, Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani and celebrities such as singer Chris Martin and actress Dakota Johnson.
The stampede occurred between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m. (19:30-20:30 GMT Tuesday) outside the ascetics arena, said Yogi Adityanath, chief minister of Uttar Pradesh state. He added that the situation was under control but the crowd was still massive.
The Hindu festival is the world’s largest gathering attracting about 400 million people in six weeks. In comparison, the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia attracted 1.8 million people last year.
Officials said the Rapid Action Force (RAF), a special police unit summoned during times of crisis, had been deployed to bring the situation under control. However, opposition parties, including Rahul Gandhi, leader of the Congress party, criticised the federal and state governments and blamed the stampede on what they called “mismanagement” and “VIP culture.”
VIP culture should be curbed and the government should make better arrangements to meet the needs of common devotees.
