Chaos at the Confluence: Stampede Mars Maha Kumbh Mela's Holy Dip

A stampede at the Maha Kumbh Mela in Uttar Pradesh, India, led to several fatalities as millions of devotees gathered for a holy dip on the festival's most important day. The incident was exacerbated by mismanaged exit routes and a massive turnout of over 148 million attendees.

A tragic stampede at the Maha Kumbh Mela in Uttar Pradesh, India, resulted in multiple fatalities as millions of devotees assembled for a holy dip, marking the festival's most auspicious day. Drone footage captured the enormous crowd packed shoulder to shoulder in the early hours.

After the stampede, scenes of chaos unfolded with bodies being moved and people, visibly distressed, stepping over abandoned belongings left behind in the panic. A Reuters journalist observed several deceased as ambulances rushed to the riverbank incident site.

Initial reports deemed a pre-dawn stampede 'not serious,' but attempts to find an escape triggered another, worsened by blocked exits. The event, the world's largest congregation, had seen 148 million visitors by that day, with expectations of a 100 million turnout for the dip. Further, authorities had planned safety measures, yet the alignment of celestial bodies and ritual significance drew unprecedented numbers.

(With inputs from agencies.)