Chaos and Tragedy: Stampede at India's Maha Kumbh Mela

A stampede at India's Maha Kumbh Mela religious festival resulted in numerous casualties as a crowd of 80 million surged. Devotees pleaded with police to open barricades to relieve congestion, but inadequate crowd control led to fatalities and chaos. Criticism falls on festival organizers and authorities.

A deadly stampede at the Maha Kumbh Mela, the world's largest religious gathering in India, has claimed dozens of lives as a massive crowd of 80 million devotees surged forward.

Eyewitnesses report that Hindu devotees, desperate to reach the main bathing area, pleaded with police to open barricaded routes, but their appeals were ignored, leading to panic and tragedy.

Authorities face criticism for mismanagement and prioritizing VIP routes, as opposition parties blame the government's negligence. Police vow changes to crowd management strategies as the death toll casts a shadow over the religious event.

(With inputs from agencies.)