A stampede broke out at the world’s largest religious festival in India early on Wednesday, leaving numerous people injured, including women and children, local media reported.
The situation was initially unclear and reports were circulating of multiple fatalities, according to the Hindustan Times newspaper.
Millions had gathered at the Maha Kumbh festival on the banks of the Ganges in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh.
The incident occurred early in the morning near the confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers.
Indian broadcaster NDTV reported that barricades set up for safety purposes collapsed amid a crowd surge, causing panic as visitors fell to the ground. Around 30 women were reportedly injured in the chaos.
The Maha Kumbh Mela is taking place at Prayagraj, formerly known as Allahabad, which sits at the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati rivers, all considered holy by Hindus.
Millions of Hindu pilgrims take a dip in the waters where the rivers converge during the month-and-a-half-long festival. Devotees believe this ritual dip will absolve them of all sins and stop the cycle of rebirth.
Wednesday marks one of the festival’s “royal bathing” days, when up to 100 million attendees were expected.
Stampedes are not uncommon at India’s major religious gatherings. During the 2013 Maha Kumbh Mela, 36 people were killed in a similar incident.
Devotees gather at Sangam on the eve of ‘Mauni Amavasya’ during the Mahakumbh Mela in Prayagraj. Prabhat Kumar Verma/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
