A stampede at a Hindu festival in northern India killed at least 30 people and injured 60 others, leaving families to grieve and mourn the loss of loved ones. The tragedy occurred during the Maha Kumbh festival, where millions of Hindus gathered to take a sacred bath in the Ganges, Yamuna, and Saraswati rivers.
The Uttar Pradesh state government has ordered an investigation into the stampede, which was caused by thousands of pilgrims rushing to the confluence of the three rivers. Witnesses reported that religious chants turned into screams as people jumped barricades erected for a procession, trampling those waiting for their turn to bathe.
Families are still searching for missing loved ones who came on the pilgrimage without them. “I fell during the stampede,” said an injured pilgrim, Sharvan Kumar Chaudhary. “I was with a friend who brought me here.”
The festival, which started on January 13 and is expected to last for 45 days, attracted nearly 400 million people, making it the world’s largest religious gathering. Authorities had warned of crowds and chaos, but many were unaware of the risks.
As the nation mourns the loss of life, families are left to cope with the devastating consequences of the stampede. The investigation into the tragedy is ongoing, with results expected within a month.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/india-stampede-cremation-religious-festival-maha-kumbh-05d1f141128346a522c076445d6818ed