At least 15 people have been and many more injured in a crush at a religious festival in India, a media report said on Wednesday.
“At least 15 people have died for now. Others are being treated,” a doctor in the Prayagraj city of Uttar Pradesh told AFP on condition of anonymity.
Rescuers and worshippers were seen evacuating victims from the site, said the report about the overnight stampede at Kumbh Mela — the world’s largest religious festival.
The six-week festival,which began on Tuesday, was expected to draw millions of people today (Wednesday) for bathing at the confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers.
According to CNN, the crush occurred after a barrier broke. Ambulances raced to the scene and casualties were taken to a nearby hospital. Blankets and belongings lay strewn on the ground.
A woman told Indian media outside the hospital: “Suddenly, there was a huge crowd and we got stuck somehow. People started pushing aggressively and we fell.”.
To take a holy dip in the sacred waters, about 100 million Hindu devotees from around the world were expected to visit the site today.
Two days ago, seven people had been killed and more than 50 others injured as a result of a roof collapse during a ceremony in the same state.
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