Stampede at India’s Maha Kumbh Mela Hindu Festival Leaves Pilgrims Hurt

Last updated: January 29, 2025 3:08 am

3 Min Read

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Asia Pacific | Dozens Feared Dead in Stampede at Huge Hindu Festival in India

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Dozens Feared Dead in Stampede at Huge Hindu Festival in India

People were trampled as pilgrims at the Maha Kumbh Mela, one of the world’s biggest gatherings, came together at the confluence of two sacred rivers, officials said.

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Hundreds of millions of Hindu pilgrims gathered in Prayagraj, India, for the Maha Kumbh Mela festival, but thousands were trampled after crowds surged toward the confluence of two rivers. Credit Credit… Atul Loke for The New York Times Published Jan. 28, 2025 Updated Jan. 29, 2025, 6:33 a.m. ET

Many people were feared to have been killed early Wednesday after millions of Hindu pilgrims at the Maha Kumbh Mela, a huge festival in the Indian city of Prayagraj, rushed to bathe in holy river waters on what is considered one of the most auspicious dates in the Hindu calendar.

As pilgrims rushed to the confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers, which Hindus consider sacred, thousands of people who were sleeping on the river banks were trampled, safety barricades broke and fences were pulled down, according to government officials and witnesses. Others were trying to escape after bathing, adding to the chaos.

New York Times journalists saw people stretched out on the ground, their bodies and faces covered, and emergency personnel carrying people away on stretchers and into ambulances.

Still, hours after the stampede, government officials had yet to release any casualty figures. In a brief speech on Wednesday, Yogi Adityanath, the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, said that some devotees had been “seriously injured,” but local news reports suggested that dozens had died.

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Emergency personnel at the scene. Credit… Atul Loke for The New York Times Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.

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