Stampede injured dozens of people early Wednesday, while tens of thousands of Hindus rushed to bathe in Rijeka at the Masiva Maha Kumbh Festival in northern India, local media reported. Pictures from the scene in the town of Moyagraj showed rescuers who assisted the injured while police tried to manage huge crowds.
It was not immediately clear what triggered panic at the festival in which the bhakt from all over India gathered to bathe at the mouth of the Ganges, Yamuna and the mythical Rijeka Saraswati. Press Trust of India quoted the authorities who said the injured people were sent to the hospital.
The Kumbh Maha Festival, held every 12 years, began on January 13th and is the biggest religious gathering in the world. Authorities expect more than 400 million people to transfer a place to pilgrimage in the next six weeks.
In order to accept tens of thousands of holy people, pilgrims and tourists who visit the festival, the authorities built the city of tent on river banks. It is equipped with 3,000 kitchens and 150,000 toilets and also has roads, electricity and water, communication towers and 11 hospitals.
About 50,000 security staff were stationed in the city to maintain law and law and manav. Stampedes are relatively common around Indian religious festivals, where large crowds gather in small areas.