India crowd crushes: dozens feared dead at Kumbh Mela religious festival – latest updates
GuardianFEB 1
India: At Least 39 Killed in Religious Festival Stampede
Above: Relatives of stampede victims mourn outside of a morgue on Jan. 29, 2025, in Prayagraj, India. Image copyright: Ritesh Shukla/Stringer/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
At least 39 people have been killed and 60 injured in a stampede at Maha Kumbh festival in India's Prayagraj on Wednesday, as millions of Hindu pilgrims attempted to reach the sacred confluence of three rivers for ritual bathing.
The incident happened around 1:30 am local time when a barrier near the riverbank broke as devotees converged for a holy dip on the occasion of Mauni Amavasya, considered one of the most auspicious days of the six-week festival.
Footage from the religious site showed clothes, shoes, and discarded belongings strewn across the ground, while police officers carried bodies of victims to waiting ambulances. Meanwhile, millions continued to visit the pilgrimage site despite the stampede.
The Spin
Narrative A
Stampedes regularly occur at Indian religious festivals, with the Maha Kumbh having a grim track record for deadly crowd crushes due to administrative mismanagement and VIP culture (preferential treatment for politicians and celebrities). On Wednesday, 28 pontoon bridges were closed for dignitaries, creating dangerous bottlenecks for ordinary pilgrims, forcing millions onto narrow roads, and ultimately leading to the deadly stampede. The government prioritized the spectacle over safety; the tragedy could have been avoided if it hadn't been treated as a public relations campaign.
Narrative B
The government implemented comprehensive safety measures, including sophisticated technology for crowd monitoring, thousands of security personnel, and proper infrastructure to manage massive gatherings. And though the sheer volume of devotees created unprecedented pressure that led to the unfortunate incident, immediate rescue efforts quickly brought the situation under control. Indian authorities should be applauded for preventing further fatalities, offering financial assistance to the victims' families, and launching an inquiry to hold the perpetrators accountable.
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