Kumbh Mela: At least 12 feared dead in crush at huge Indian religious festival – BBC.com
Authorities say at least 30 people have died and a further 60 were injured in a crowd crush at the massive Kumbh Mela festivalIndia’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has offered his condolences to the victims, while the state chief minister has ordered an inquiry into the incidentOne victim who spoke to the BBC’s team on the ground described being pushed into the Ganges River as he went to participate in a ritual bathingThe BBC’s Samira Hussain describes scenes of “absolute chaos” at the riverbank, with clothes, shoes, blankets and backpacks strewn on the ground as crowds tried to escapeOfficials predicted up to 100 million people were expected to attend the bathing day at the Hindu religious festivalThe BBC’s Vikas Pandey say “tens of thousands are still trying to take the holy dip” – but proceedings are “very muted”This video can not be playedBBC reports from scene of India’s Kumbh Mela crushEdited by Neha Gohil and Tinshui Yeung in London and produced by Geeta Pandey and Zoya Mateen in Delhi, with Vikas Pandey, Samira Hussain, Antriksha Pathania and Ankit Srinivas at the Kumbh MelaAt least 30 people have died during India’s Kumbh Mela festival.Held every 12 years, the Kumbh Mela, which lasts over six weeks, is thought to be the largest religious gathering in the world, attracting tens of millions of people globally.The incident took place between 01:00 and 02:00 local time on Wednesday (19:30-20:30 GMT on Tuesday) when a group of pilgrims broke through barricades, trampling devotees waiting to take the dip in the river. Devotees believe bathing there cleanses sins and leads to salvation.The death toll remained unconfirmed by government officials for over 12 hours after the incident, until a news conference held by officials confirmed that at least 30 people had been killed and 60 injured.Despite last night’s chaos, some devotees say they are determined to continue with their rituals and take a holy dip. At least 50 million people had bathed on Wednesday, bringing the total since the festival began to 249.8 million.We’ll be wrapping up our live coverage soon but you can access more material including full details of the incident, BBC correspondents reporting from the scene and more about the Kumbh Mela festival via BBC News. This page was brought to you by Vikas Pandey, Anahita Sachdev, Antariksha Pathania, Geeta Pandey, Zoya Mateen, Cherylann Mollan, Meryl Sebastian, Neyaz Farooquee, Nikita Yadav, Soutik Biswas, Nikita Mandhani, Samira Hussain, Ankit Srinivas, Neha Sharma, Andrew Clarance, Mohit Aggarwal, Thomas Mackintosh, Asya Robins, Yaroslav Lukov, Neha Gohil and Tinshui Yeung.Authorities have confirmed 30 people died after a crowd crush at the Kumbh Mela festivalA judicial inquiry has now been ordered in India, following the deadly crush in the northern city of Prayagraj. The announcement was made by Uttar Pradesh state’s Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.He said that a separate investigation would be looking into alleged police lapses.Bharatiya Janata Party politician Yogi Adityanath is the chief minister of India’s most populous stateSimon FraserAsia online editorOfficial casualty figures were slow to emerge. Throughout the day there were fears that many more had died than eyewitness and other reports suggested.At an evening news conference in India, the extent of the disaster was confirmed – 30 people dead.Police also said 90 injured had been taken to hospitals, which many media organisations, including the BBC, reported.But police then made clear that of the 90 taken to hospital, 30 had died. Official certification of death can only happen in hospital which is why the news came out that way.Devotees take a holy dip at Sangam, the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna and Saraswati riverAs we’ve been reporting, at least 30 people have been killed in a crush at the Kumbh Mela festival – which lasts for over six weeks – in the northern city of Prayagraj.The festival has great religious and spiritual significance for devotees who believe that taking the holy dip in the sacred river will help them attain salvation.The crush took place on Wednesday, which is also the Amavasya (new moon day) in the month of Magha. It is considered the most auspicious day due to a rare alignment of celestial bodies.It is believed that those who bathe in the waters of Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati on this day, called the Shahi Snan, or royal bath, will attain spiritual growth and purification, with pre-dawn hours being the most favourable.According to the latest government figures, 50.4 million bathed in the rivers by 14:00 local time (08:30 GMT).A man who was injured during the crush and is now being treated in hospital tells the BBC he went to bathe at the Ganges River at 03:30 local time (22:00 GMT) – but upon reaching the spot was pushed into the water by the crowd.”My bag, scarf, sweater, everything got washed away with the water,” he says.The survivor adds that he has pain from his knee to his waist.This video can not be playedGanges crush survivor describes being pushed into riverDevotee Sarojini questions what the police were doing when the crush happenedEyewitnesses are now telling the BBC about the crowd crush at the Kumbh Mela festival.Umesh Agrawal describes that before the crush, there was a massive crowd. People were moving quickly, but some were sleeping near the barricades.“That’s how some of them got entangled with those who were walking fast,” he says. “Two to three people fell at first, and then the crowd behind them started falling on each other.”Some devotees are questioning the police’s management.“There should be some security – we are here to take a holy dip, not to die,” says Sarojini, who recalls seeing “no police” at the time. Vidhya, another devotee, also tells the BBC that there was “no one in security or the army to help” during the incident.Eyewitnesses who are looking for family members they lost during the crush have spoken to the BBC.Two men who were visiting Sangam Nose to bathe say that although they were able to get away in time, they were separated from the two people they were travelling with during the incident. The men have searched the area and the riverbanks, and hospital officials have also not been able to locate them.Another woman says she is looking for her daughter-in-law, who went missing when they were bathing.She says she has asked the police for help but has not been able to locate her.More details now from officials in India’s Uttar Pradesh state on the deadly crowd crush at Kumbh Mela.They say that between 01:00 and 02:00 local time a massive crowd on the Akhada Road broke through barricades, trampling devotees waiting to take the dip in the river.A rescue operation was launched, and the injured people were taken to hospital.Officials at the press conference a little earlier did not take questions from reporters. Officials have just announced that 30 people were killed and 60 were injured during the crush at Kumbh Mela festival.Of those people, 25 have been identified, officials say. People that were involved in the incident include those who travelled from the states of Gujarat and Assam to attend the festival, the officials add. By Shruti Menon, BBC VerifyBBC Verify has analysed footage showing chaos on a crowded bridge as police try to manage devotees.The narrow pontoon is packed with thousands of people, and the video shows women and men attempting to climb off into to a less crowded area. At least eight policemen can be seen and heard in the video, blowing whistles and asking devotees to move forward as they try to manage the crowd surge.Local police have said the incident occurred near the confluence of the three holy rivers and we matched the bridges seen in the video to the same location on Google Earth. Several of these temporary pontoons are set up during the Mela, intended to ensure smooth movement of pilgrims across the rivers.A man who was injured during the crush and is being treated at a hospital tells our colleagues on the ground that he went to bathe at the Ganges River at 03:30 local time (22:00 GMT), but upon reaching the spot was pushed into the water by the crowd.”My bag, scarf, sweater, everything got washed away with the water,” he tells the BBC.He says that he has pain from his knee to his waist that won’t go away.He also says he had a pain in his chest, caused by a few people walking over him, but adds that the pain has subsided.Vikas PandeyReporting from PrayagrajHuge barricades have been put around the main train station in the city.Tired people are now trying to find the right train to go back to their homes after taking a dip in the holy rivers. But officials are only allowing a small number of people to go inside the train station at a time. Some of the devotees have decided to sit on the road and wait until they are allowed into the station.The Kumbh Mela draws a wide spectrum of participants, including ordinary pilgrims, ascetics, saints and religious leaders from all over India.Among the most prominent attendees are Naga sadhus – holy men who follow strict ascetic practices and give up all worldly possessions – and gurus leading spiritual organisations of Hinduism.The mela also sees the participation of devotees from different Hindu sects and communities, making it not just a religious ritual, but a vibrant meeting point for spiritual exchange.Tourists and foreign citizens who are interested in Hindu spirituality and culture also visit the mela.The mela draws participants from all over IndiaCherylann MollanBBC IndiaThe mela is organised in four cities – Prayagraj, Haridwar, Ujjain and Nasik – but the biggest and grandest gatherings are held in Prayagraj every 12 years.The festivals are held on the banks of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers, which are considered to be sacred by Hindus. The holiest of these rivers – the Ganges – passes through Prayagraj.The Kumbh Mela – which lasts for over six weeks – is believed to be the largest religious gathering on earth, drawing tens of millions of people from all around the world.The festival also has great religious and spiritual significance for devotees who believe that taking a dip in the sacred river will help them attain salvation.So huge is the gathering that it can even be seen from space. It also calls for massive travel and infrastructure arrangements. This year, the Uttar Pradesh government has erected over 150,000 tents and dozens of pontoon or floating bridges for pilgrims.Pontoon bridges facilitate the movement of pilgrims over riversThe BBC has spoken to some devotees at the Kumbh Mela festival. They say they are determined to take a holy dip in the river despite the chaotic scenes last night.This video can not be played’Will do what we came here to do’: Pilgrims at Kumbh MelaWe can now bring you the latest images from the festival. As we reported earlier, the Shahi Snan (royal bath) has started, with holy men from akharas or religious sects taking dips in the river as people gather to see them and seek their blessing. The ritual was due to take place earlier today but it was delayed due to the crush. The BBC’s Vikas Pandey, who is at the festival, says the proceedings are “very muted”.Samira HussainReporting from PrayagrajAn officer addresses a crowd of pilgrims near the river on WednesdayWe spent a lot of time with the police department here.They showed us their control room – they have 2,700 cameras set up all across the city, not just at the Kumbh Mela grounds, and they’re monitoring it all the time.But the crowds here have been enormous – organisers were expecting up to 100 million to come today and that is an enormous number of people to fathom, let alone have to count.Organisers say they put many precautions in place, and have been planning this for months. But after today’s crush, many are asking what went wrong.Police monitor crowds at the Kumbh Mela on 17 JanuaryEyewitnesses are continuing to share their experiences of the crush that happened at the Kumbh Mela festival in the city of Prayagraj in the early hours of the morning.A family member of an injured victim told Reuters news agency that they were walking “when people started pushing aggressively, which led to everyone falling”.”Then people started stepping and walking over us. Nobody helped us to get up. My father … has gone missing,” they say.Others who were at the scene of the crush told AFP news agency that they were trampled by huge swells of people coming towards them in the darkness.”I was sitting near a barricade, and during the pushing and shoving, the entire crowd fell on top of me, trampling me as it moved forward,” Pilgrim Renu Devi tells AFP, adding: “When the crowd surged, elderly people and women were crushed, and no one came forward to help.” Umesh Agrawal told the BBC earlier that some people were sleeping near the barricades, and some of them got entangled with those who were walking fastAnd Ayesha Mishra says there was no way to leave the site, with children getting crushed by the crowds.The Kumbh Mela has established many lost and found centres to help people reunite with their loved ones.The BBC’s Vikas Pandey reports from one of the centres, where children and elderly women are waiting for their families after being separated from their families during the crush.This video can not be playedMany await loved ones at lost and found centres© 2025 BBC. 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