Multiple people killed in crowd crush at world’s largest religious festival

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Many people were killed in crushing a crowd of people in the largest religious gathering in India early on Wednesday, with tens of millions of worshipers to shower on one of the most holy days at the Hindu Festival.

The festival’s Special Executive Officer said that a barrier near the river was broken while the crowds were walking towards the banks of the river to take their holy retreat as part of Maha Compe Mila In the city of Indian prayer.

An official source in a local hospital told CNN that they had received 14 bodies at about four in the morning local time on Wednesday. The source added that about 20 people were treated due to minor injuries. Indian authorities have not confirmed the number of losses.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi seemed to recognize deaths in a post on X, as he called him “very sad”.

“My deepest condolences for the reformers who lost their loved ones in this. Besides this, I hope that the rapid recovery of all the injured,” adding that he is “constantly contact” with the government of Uttar Pradesh.

The Prime Minister of the state, Yuji Adytianath, said earlier that some worshipers who were crushed “were seriously injured” and warned people against spreading rumors.

Reuters and local media have reported witnesses seeing many bodies near the river bank, and pictures of Reuters showed bodies carried from the site on cards.

The video clip of the news agency showed the ambulances that are racing through huge crowds of people and losses to be brought to a nearby hospital. Security personnel who help worshipers as scattered blankets and property can be seen on the ground.

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Speaking to the local media, the fans said that the accident occurred at about 1:30 am local time and described the chaotic scenes with people running in different directions and others falling. Witnesses said that the families had separated in increasing people and some remain missing.

Witnesses told local media that many people had already taken their holy retreat and were resting on the bank of the river when crushing occurred.

Hours after the crowd crushed, the pilgrims continued to gather to take cruelty during the Maha Compa Festival in prayer on January 29, 2025.

Hours after the crowd crushed, the pilgrims continued to gather to take cruelty during the Maha Compa Festival in prayer on January 29, 2025.

Suddenly, there was a large crowd and somehow hung. “People began to push strongly and fell,” told local media out of the hospital.

This incident occurred as it was expected to visit about 100 million Hindu worshipers from all over the world signed on Wednesday and dip in the holy waters in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh in India, according to local media reports.

On Wednesday, Moni Amuavasia, one of the most important days of the Maha Compe Mila Festival, coincides with their followers in Triveeni Sangam, and three sacred rivers – the Gange River, Yamona and the legendary Sarasati – to purify their duo and take another step closer to “spiritual liberation”.

Reuters drone footage shots showed large numbers of people who already reach the site before crushing.

The festival is the largest peaceful gathering in the world. For six weeks, 400 million people are expected to attend, or a festival Sacred jugOn the banks of prayer.

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Lovers, after retreating, walk next to the people's luggage in crushing a crowd of the crowd in Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, India on January 29, 2025.

Lovers, after retreating, walk next to the people’s luggage in crushing a crowd of the crowd in Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, India on January 29, 2025.

The number of people who created “great pressure”

Prime Minister Adianiths late Wednesday morning said the situation was “under control.”

There were no details about the number of losses, but he said that some of the worshipers who fell into crushing had become “serious injuries” during the “attempt to join the barricades”.

“They were immediately transferred to the hospital and treating them,” Adianath said, adding that the accident occurred between 1 and 2 local time.

He said that the huge number of people on the site had created “great pressure.”

He added that between 80 million and 100 million people were in Prayagraj on Wednesday, with more than 50 million in the water the day before.

In a post on X, Adityanath He said On Wednesday, lovers to avoid bathing in Sanjam, where rivers meet, and instead decrease in points along the closest river. Despite the appeal, huge crowds can be seen moving towards Sanjam and showering with morning progress, as the photos shared by Reuters showed.

Makarson appears on Crowd Crush in Prayagraj on January 29, 2025. - Niharika Kulkarni/AFP/Getty Images

Makarson appears on Crowd Crush in Prayagraj on January 29, 2025. – Niharika Kulkarni/AFP/Getty Images

Police personnel gathered around the crowd at Crowd Crush in Prayagraj on January 29, 2025. - Niharika Kulkarni/AFP/Getty Images

Police personnel gathered around the crowd at Crowd Crush in Prayagraj on January 29, 2025. – Niharika Kulkarni/AFP/Getty Images

The scope of security measures was expanded before the festival

Crushing the crowds in religious gatherings in India is not uncommon, and fatal accidents have occurred in the past, and often highlights the lack of sufficient measures to control crowds and safety. In 2013, Dozens of people were killed and wounded In crushing a crowd at the railway station in God, the pilgrims gathered in Kumbh Mela that year.

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Before the festival in Prayagraj, The officials said Additional safety measures have been developed to protect visitors, including a security ring with checkpoints around the city where more than 1,000 police officers work.

The central government said More than 2700 security cameras Holding artificial intelligence will also be placed throughout the city, and it is monitored by hundreds of experts in the main sites.

The government added that the drones were described to provide surveillance from the top, and for the first time, the underwater drones were activated by diving up to 100 meters to provide a cover around the clock.

Security personnel at the crowd site crushed in Prayagraj. - Arun Sankar/AFP/Getty Images

Security personnel at the crowd site crushed in Prayagraj. – Arun Sankar/AFP/Getty Images

Kumbh depends on Hindu myths, demons legends and deities fighting on a jug containing eternity. During the battle, four drops of a jug fell on the ground, in Prayagraj, Nashik, Haridwar and UjjainThat hosts the festival in rotation.

The assembly is especially famous for attracting large crowds of Hindu men, known as SAHERUS, who travel from all over the country.

Every 12 -year -old holds the festival “Maha”, which means it is great, because it is the largest gathering of Kumbh Mela, which takes place every three years in one of four cities. This year, the festival is of greater importance due to a rare alignment of heavenly bodies that occur every 144 years.

As of January 27, more than 197 million people were covered in the Holy Water, according to the government of Uttar Pradesh.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

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