In a heart-wrenching incident at New Delhi's main railway station, 15 pilgrims lost their lives due to a stampede on Saturday as they rushed to attend the ongoing Kumbh Mela, one of the world's largest religious festivals. The chaos unfolded after train delays led to an influx of people attempting to board trains bound for the event, leaving many injured in the frantic scramble.
Officials revealed that, in addition to the fatalities, 15 others suffered injuries. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his sorrow over the tragedy, assuring that authorities are doing their utmost to assist the victims and their families. India's Minister for Railroads, Ashwini Vaishnaw, announced plans for an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the stampede.
The ongoing Kumbh Mela, which began mid-January and will wrap up later this month, is anticipated to attract over 400 million attendees. This year’s event is particularly significant, dubbed the Maha Kumbh due to a rare celestial alignment occurring once every 144 years, making crowd management an increasingly daunting task for the government.
Past festivals have seen similar tragedies; just last month, a stampede resulted in 30 pilgrim deaths. In previous years, hundreds have perished in similar incidents, highlighting the critical need for effective safety measures during such massive gatherings.
