In a rush during the massively visited Hindufestival Kumbh Mela in the north of India, at least seven people were killed, reports Reuters news agency. At least ten people were also injured. It is feared that the number of victims will rise further. It is not yet clear what the panic was caused by.
The Kumbh Mela, the Kruikenfeest, is the greatest religious festival of Hinduism. Pilgrims go to one of the holy rivers of India every three years to wash their sins in it. This year’s edition lasts from January 13 to February 26 and is extra special because of a stand of the sun, the moon and Jupiter that only occurs once every 144 years. These weeks a total of more than 400 million people are expected at the city of Prayagraj, where the Ganges, the Yamuna and the mythical Sarasvati come together.
According to NRC correspondent Lisa Dupuy, who is located between the crowd, it was already clear on Tuesday that the ‘crowd control’ left a lot to be desired. “There were random road deposits and hardly any communication, while the crowd kept swelling.”
According to the AP news agency, around 50,000 safety employees have been deployed to keep order. Religious leaders have called to postpone the ‘holy bath’, but according to correspondent Lisa Dupuy, many people still went into the water in the hours after the rush.