(Adnkronos) – Shock in India. The death toll from the stampede during the Maha Kumbh Mela rites, which is held every 12 years, is uncertain. Millions of people participate in the rites, reaching the banks of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers in Prayagraj (formerly Allahabad), in Uttar Pradesh. Indian authorities estimate that up to 400 million people will arrive in the area over six weeks this year. “The incident in Prayagraj,” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote on X, “is very sad. My heartfelt condolences to the faithful who have lost loved ones.” Modi wishes the injured a speedy recovery and assures that he is in “constant contact” with local authorities.
According to the Indian Ndtv “there are fears of victims” and the broadcaster reports about thirty injured women. According to the Hindustan Times newspaper, it all happened before dawn when a crowd poured out of a cordon of law enforcement officers, trampling other people present and causing “several injuries.” The same newspaper writes of “at least 15 bodies transported to the hospital.”
