Tragedy at Kumb Mela Festival in India: Dozens Dead in Stampede

prayagraj, india - Multiple casualties reported in a stampede during the religious festival in Prayagraj, India.

Tragedy Strikes Kumb Mela Festival in India

A stampede at the 'Maha Kumbh Mela' Festival in Prayagraj, India, has resulted in numerous fatalities. The exact death toll is still unknown, with reports varying between 15 to 38 casualties.

Today, at the confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers, thousands of Hindus were expected to perform ritualistic cleansing to absolve sins as part of the six-week festival.

Details surrounding the stampede remain unclear, but chaotic scenes of people stumbling over discarded items and security forces struggling to manage the massive crowd have emerged.

Significance of Kumb Mela Festival

The 'Kumb Mela' Festival, held every 12 years in India, is considered the largest religious gathering globally. It involves millions of Hindu devotees congregating to bathe in the sacred waters where the Ganges and Yamuna rivers meet, believing it will cleanse them of sins.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, millions of Hindus participated in the ritualistic bathing at the Triveni Sangam River.