At least 15 people have died in a stampede at a railway station in New Delhi late Saturday, as surging crowds scrambled to board trains bound for the Kumbh Mela, one of the largest religious gatherings in the world.
The event, which takes place once every 12 years in Prayagraj, northern India, attracts millions of Hindu devotees.
According to Dr. Ritu Saxena, deputy medical superintendent of Lok Nayak Hospital in New Delhi, “I can confirm 15 deaths at the hospital.
They don’t have any open injury. Most (likely died from) hypoxia or maybe some blunt injury but that would only be confirmed after an autopsy.” Eleven others were injured, with most suffering from stable orthopedic injuries.
The Kumbh Mela, which began last month, has a history of deadly crowd-related incidents. Just last month, at least 30 people died in another stampede at the holy confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna, and Saraswati rivers.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his sorrow over the incident, stating, “I am distressed by the stampede. My thoughts are with all those who have lost their loved ones. I pray that the injured have a speedy recovery.”
Authorities have been working to manage the crowds, with Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announcing the addition of special trains from New Delhi to help clear the rush.
The six-week festival is a major event in the Hindu religious calendar, with over 500 million devotees already having attended since it began.
The Kumbh Mela has seen devastating disasters before, including the 1954 tragedy, when over 400 people were killed due to crowd trampling and drowning.
