India festival stampede death toll rises to 30 — RT India

A deadly stampede at India’s Maha Kumbh Mela, a religious gathering held in Prayagraj city once every 12 years, has claimed 30 lives and injured 60 people, local authorities confirmed on Thursday. The government of Uttar Pradesh, a state in northern India where the world’s largest religious congregation is being held, has taken “strict” measures to ensure the safety of devotees and has ordered a judicial probe into the deaths.

The stampede occurred on Wednesday night during the Mauni Amavasya (new moon) celebrations when a massive crowd gathered to take a holy dip at the confluence point of the Ganga, Yamuna, and the invisible Saraswati rivers, which Hindus consider sacred. The Deputy Inspector General of Police for the Maha Kumbh festival told the media that the incident occurred due to pressure from the crowd, which “broke through barricades and jumped to the other side, crushing those who were waiting there.”

The area has been declared a no-vehicle zone, and VVIP (Very Very Important Person) passes have been canceled to prevent congestion, local media reported, citing authorities. Additionally, roads leading to the Maha Kumbh have been converted into one-way routes to facilitate the smooth movement of the millions of devotees attending the event.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath ordered a judicial inquiry to determine the circumstances that led to the stampede. “It is important to get to the bottom of how such a tragedy occurred,” he said.

Meanwhile, a petition was filed before the Supreme Court by an advocate seeking directions to heighten safety measures at the Maha Kumbh venue, as reported by Bar and Bench. The petitioner has sought improved medical facilities for devotees and the provision of basic information about Maha Kumbh guidelines to pilgrims in different languages. 

Opposition leaders have criticized local authorities on the issue. Indian National Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi attributed this tragedy to “VIP culture,” which should be “reined in,” and said that the government should make “better arrangements” to fulfill the needs of “common” devotees.

The festival began on January 13 and has drawn tens of millions of pilgrims from across the world. Nearly 150 million people have attended so far, including top Indian political and business leaders, global celebrities such as Coldplay lead singer Chris Martin and girlfriend Dakota Johnson, and billionaire businesswoman Laurene Powell Jobs, the widow of Steve Jobs.

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