Scores of people are feared dead as a result of a stampede at the massive Maha Kumbh Mela festival in northern India, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has confirmed.
The crush happened between 1 am and 2 am local time on Wednesday (9 pm and 10 pm CET Tuesday), the most auspicious day of the six-week Hindu festival.
The authorities said the accident occurred near a barricaded area where ascetics were due to take a holy dip at the confluence of the Ganges, the Yamuna and the Saraswati rivers.
It is unclear how many people died, but some local news reports suggest that there were at least 10 victims, with other outlets reporting up to 40. Many more are believed to have been injured.
Families queued outside a makeshift hospital to find out about missing relatives while belongings such as clothes and backpacks littered the area where the stampede took place, according to reports.
Modi, who has yet to announce an official death toll, called the incident “extremely sad”.
“My deepest condolences to the devotees who have lost their loved ones. Along with this, I wish for the speedy recovery of all the injured,” he wrote on X.
Yogi Adityanath, the top elected official in Uttar Pradesh, the state where the festival is being held, said the situation was now “under control” but that a “massive crowd” had gathered in the area.
Between 90 and 100 million devotees were expected to bathe at the spot on Wednesday, he said. “About 30 million people had taken the holy bath by 8 am Wednesday,” he added.
Hindus believe that taking a tip in the sacred rivers during the festival will strip them of their sins.
Opposition politicians blamed the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which governs Uttar Pradesh, for the tragedy.
Mallikarjun Kharge, president of the Congress party, said the accident was caused by “half-baked arrangements,” “VIP movement” and “mismanagement”.
“Central and state governments should wake up now” to prevent similar incidents, he added. This year’s Kumbh Mela festival, which takes place every 12 years, started on 13 January and is scheduled to last until 26 February.
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Deadly stampedes have occurred during the festival in the past. In 2013, at least 40 pilgrims died in a crush at a train station in the city of Prayagraj.
At this year’s event, about 50,000 security personnel are stationed in the city to maintain law and order and manage crowds.
There are also more than 2,500 cameras, which officials monitor in an attempt to prevent similar incidents from happening.
