In India, during the religious festival “Maha Kumbha Mela” there was a stampede, which led to the death and injury of people. About this informs Associated Press.
The incident occurred when a large number of pilgrims simultaneously headed to the rivers for ritual ablutions. The cause of the panic among the crowd is currently unknown. Temporary medical centers have been opened for the injured, and rescuers continue to provide assistance. Indian media reports 10 dead and several dozen injured.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences to the families of the victims and wished the victims a speedy recovery, calling the event “extremely sad.”
“The local administration is involved in providing immediate relief to the victims. I have spoken to Chief Minister Yogi Ji about this and am in constant touch with the state government.”Modi said.
The six-week Maha Kumbha Mela festival is one of the largest in the world. This year, more than 400 million people are expected to visit Prayagraj in northern India, a place where three sacred rivers meet: Ganges, Yamuna and the mythical invisible Saraswati.
To accommodate the pilgrims, a temporary city was built on 4,000 hectares along the banks of the rivers. 150,000 tents, 3,000 kitchens, 145,000 toilets and 99 parking lots were set up here. Indian Railways added 98 special trains, and 40,000 police officers were deployed to maintain order. In total, the local government allocated 765 million dollars for the festival.
