The number of deaths in the stampede at the Maha Kumbh Mela in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India has risen to 40, according to Source.
Officials have confirmed that the incident occurred early Wednesday morning (January 29). The Kumbh Mela attracts hundreds of thousands of people. The stampede happened on Tuesday while devotees were taking a holy dip in the Ganges River.
Reports indicate that 40 bodies have been brought to the morgue so far, and the death toll is expected to rise.
Even after 12 hours of the incident, local authorities have yet to release any official casualty figures. Senior police officer Vaibhav Krishna stated that the exact number of deaths remains uncertain, as efforts are focused on crowd management.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spoken with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and urged the immediate implementation of relief measures.
The largest human gathering in the world, this Hindu festival, has already seen nearly 148 million people participating over the past two weeks. Officials had expected around 100 million people to come for the holy dip this year, as it is considered the most auspicious day due to a rare alignment of the Ganga, which occurs once every 144 years.
Hindus believe that bathing at the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna, and the invisible Sarasvati River cleanses them of their sins and frees them from the cycle of birth and death.
Sadhu Ravi Shankar Puri mentioned, “All our monks and ascetics were ready for the dip, but upon learning about the incident, we changed our decision.”