Stampede at Delhi railway station kills 18 amid rush for Kumbh Mela trains
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At least 18 people were killed and dozens injured in a stampede at a railway station in India’s capital late Saturday as massive crowds rushed to board trains heading to the Kumbh Mela, the world’s largest religious gathering, officials confirmed.
The stampede erupted amid chaotic scenes as thousands of devotees scrambled to secure space on overcrowded trains bound for Prayagraj, where the festival is taking place. The Kumbh Mela, held every 12 years, attracts tens of millions of Hindu pilgrims who gather to take a holy dip at the sacred confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati rivers.
Saturday’s tragedy comes just weeks after another deadly stampede at the festival site in Prayagraj, where at least 30 people lost their lives. The Kumbh Mela has a long history of crowd-related disasters, with one of the deadliest occurring in 1954, when more than 400 devotees were crushed or drowned in a single day. In 2013, another 36 people died in a stampede during the festival’s last full-scale edition.
Despite the latest incident, thousands of devotees continued to flood railway stations and festival grounds on Sunday. Authorities have increased police presence and deployed disaster management teams to prevent further tragedies.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his grief over the incident, posting on X: “I am distressed by the stampede. My thoughts are with all those who have lost their loved ones. I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured.”
Vinai Kumar Saxena, Governor of Delhi, stated that emergency personnel and hospitals were placed on high alert to handle any further incidents.
The six-week-long Kumbh Mela remains one of the largest religious gatherings on Earth, with over 500 million devotees reportedly visiting since it began last month. While authorities have taken steps to improve crowd management, the sheer scale of the event continues to pose serious logistical and safety challenges.
As the festival progresses, concerns over overcrowding and safety remain high, with officials urging devotees to follow safety guidelines to prevent further casualties. (ILKHA)
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