Horrific stampede at Indian religious festival: Maha Kumbh updates, death toll

News.com.au - 29/01
Authorities have confirmed at least 15 people were killed in a pre-dawn stampede at the world’s largest religious gathering.

Authorities have confirmed at least 15 people were killed in a pre-dawn stampede at the world’s largest religious gathering.

The deadly crowd surge took place on Wednesday at the Kumbh Mela (festival of the Sacred Pitcher), a Hindu pilgrimage that coincides with the revolution of Jupiter

Many people were also injured when the surging crowd spilled out of a police cordon and trampled bystanders.

Deadly crowd incidents are frequent occurrence at Indian religious festivals, including the Kumbh Mela, which attracts tens of millions of devotees every 12 years to the northern city of Prayagraj.

Pilgrims gather to take a holy dip at Sangam, the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati rivers, on the occasion of 'Mauni Amavasya' during the Maha Kumbh Mela festival in Prayagraj on January 29, 2025. Picture: AFP
A woman climbs a fence amid the ongoing Maha Kumbh Mela festival in Prayagraj. Picture: AFP

As pilgrims rus...
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