UPDATED: At Least 30 Fatalities Reported in India Stampede During Hindu Mega Festival

Deadly crowd incidents frequently occur during religious festivals in India, such as the Kumbh Mela, which draws tens of millions of devotees every 12 years to Prayagraj in the north. A pre-dawn stampede at this massive religious gathering resulted in at least 30 fatalities on Wednesday, with many others injured as a surge of people broke through a police cordon and trampled bystanders.

As pilgrims hurried to partake in a sacred day of ritual bathing, those resting and sitting on the ground near the rivers reported being crushed by the overwhelming wave of devotees moving toward them in the darkness.

“I was sitting near a barricade when the crowd surged, and I was completely overwhelmed and trampled as it advanced,” said 48-year-old pilgrim Renu Devi.

“During the chaos, elderly individuals and women were crushed, and no one came to their aid.”

Rescue teams worked through piles of discarded clothing, shoes, and personal belongings as they transported victims from the scene.

Police were seen carrying stretchers with the bodies of victims covered in thick blankets.

A doctor at a hospital treating survivors, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, reported, “At least 15 people” died, with many more injured. Authorities have yet to officially confirm the total number of casualties from the stampede, which occurred around 1:00 AM (1930 GMT Tuesday).

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his sorrow over the tragedy, calling it “extremely sad” and extending his “deepest condolences” to the families of the deceased. He also wished for a swift recovery for the injured.

Outside a large tent designated as a hospital for the festival, dozens of relatives anxiously awaited news of their loved ones, located about one kilometer (0.6 miles) from the site of the disaster.

The Kumbh Mela, lasting six weeks, is the most significant event on the Hindu religious calendar. Wednesday marked one of the festival's holiest days, when saffron-clad holy men lead millions in a ritual bathing ceremony at the confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers.

Instead of participating in the rituals, officials moved through the festival with loudspeakers, urging pilgrims to avoid the disaster site and bathe in other locations. “We humbly request all devotees to refrain from coming to the main bathing area,” one staff member pleaded through a megaphone. “Please cooperate with security personnel.”

The Uttar Pradesh state government, which oversees the festival, reported that millions had already bathed in the rivers between midnight and early morning. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath assured reporters that medical personnel were attending to those seriously injured in the incident, stating that the situation was “under control.”

Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi attributed the disaster to poor crowd management, claiming that the administration prioritized the comfort of VIPs over ordinary devotees. “Mismanagement and the administration’s focus on VIP movement rather than common devotees are responsible for this tragic incident,” he posted on social media.

Railway official Manish Kumar noted that several special train services set up to transport pilgrims had been suspended due to overwhelming crowds in Prayagraj. Some attendees decided to leave the city early. “I heard the news and saw the bathing site,” said participant Sanjay Nishad. “My family got scared, so we’re leaving.”

The Kumbh Mela is steeped in Hindu mythology, representing a battle between deities and demons for control of a pitcher containing the nectar of immortality. Organizers have compared the scale of this year’s festival to that of a temporary country, predicting that up to 400 million pilgrims will visit before the final day on February 26.

In response to the risk of fatal crowd accidents, police have installed hundreds of cameras at the festival site and along access roads, along with overhead drones. This surveillance system feeds into a sophisticated command center designed to alert staff if crowd density reaches dangerously high levels.

Historically, crowd-related disasters at the Kumbh Mela have resulted in significant fatalities, including over 400 deaths from trampling or drowning on a single day in 1954, marking one of the largest tolls in such incidents globally. In 2013, 36 people were crushed to death during the last festival held in Prayagraj.