A stampede at the world’s largest religious gathering killed at least 15 people with many more injured, a doctor at the Kumbh Mela festival in northern India told AFP Wednesday.
Deadly crowd accidents are frequent occurrence at Indian religious festivals, including the Kumbh Mela, which attracts throngs of devotees every 12 years to the city of Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh.
The six-week festival is the single biggest milestone on the Hindu religious calendar, and millions of people had travelled there to take a dip in the confluence of holy rivers.
Pilgrim Renu Devi, 48, told AFP that a huge crowd was moving down a promenade to reach the rivers abutting the festival site.
“I was sitting near a barricade, and during the pushing and shoving, the entire crowd fell on top of me, trampling me as it moved forward,” she added.
“When the crowd surged, elderly people and women were crushed, and no one came forward to help.”
Rescue…
Connect with us on our socials: