The article text:
A devastating stampede occurred on Saturday at New Delhi's main train station, leading to the deaths of 15 people, according to officials. The incident unfolded as a massive surge of Hindu pilgrims endeavored to board trains for the Kumbh Mela celebration in northern India. Atishi, the caretaker chief minister of the Delhi region, reported the casualties and injuries subsequently at a local hospital.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended his sympathies on social media, indicating that efforts were underway to assist the victims and their families in the aftermath of the incident. Ashwini Vaishnaw, the railways minister, confirmed that an inquiry into the stampede had been initiated. Reports indicate that the railway station experienced overcrowding, exacerbated by delays in trains scheduled for Kumbh Mela, prompting authorities to deploy additional trains.
The Kumbh Mela festival, which started in mid-January and is set to conclude at the end of this month, is expected to draw more than 400 million participants over its six-week duration, according to government figures. This annual event is one of the largest religious gatherings globally. Last week, devotees took part in a ritual dip in the holy confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers, believed to cleanse them of sins.
This year's Kumbh Mela, dubbed the Maha Kumbh, is particularly significant due to a rare celestial alignment occurring once every 144 years. The festival rotates among four designated cities in India, with this year's occasion taking place in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh.
Effectively managing such enormous crowds has proven to be a challenge for the Indian authorities. Just last month, a stampede related to the Kumbh Mela resulted in 30 fatalities. Additionally, in 2013, during a prior Kumbh Mela, 42 lives were lost in a similar incident at the Prayagraj train station. Past events also saw casualties, such as 39 devotees in Nasik in 2003 and a tragic stampede in 1954 that claimed hundreds of lives during the first Kumbh Mela after India's independence.
Eve Sampson reports on international news as part of the 2024-25 Times Fellowship class, aimed at emerging journalists.
A devastating stampede occurred on Saturday at New Delhi's main train station, leading to the deaths of 15 people, according to officials. The incident unfolded as a massive surge of Hindu pilgrims endeavored to board trains for the Kumbh Mela celebration in northern India. Atishi, the caretaker chief minister of the Delhi region, reported the casualties and injuries subsequently at a local hospital.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended his sympathies on social media, indicating that efforts were underway to assist the victims and their families in the aftermath of the incident. Ashwini Vaishnaw, the railways minister, confirmed that an inquiry into the stampede had been initiated. Reports indicate that the railway station experienced overcrowding, exacerbated by delays in trains scheduled for Kumbh Mela, prompting authorities to deploy additional trains.
The Kumbh Mela festival, which started in mid-January and is set to conclude at the end of this month, is expected to draw more than 400 million participants over its six-week duration, according to government figures. This annual event is one of the largest religious gatherings globally. Last week, devotees took part in a ritual dip in the holy confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers, believed to cleanse them of sins.
This year's Kumbh Mela, dubbed the Maha Kumbh, is particularly significant due to a rare celestial alignment occurring once every 144 years. The festival rotates among four designated cities in India, with this year's occasion taking place in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh.
Effectively managing such enormous crowds has proven to be a challenge for the Indian authorities. Just last month, a stampede related to the Kumbh Mela resulted in 30 fatalities. Additionally, in 2013, during a prior Kumbh Mela, 42 lives were lost in a similar incident at the Prayagraj train station. Past events also saw casualties, such as 39 devotees in Nasik in 2003 and a tragic stampede in 1954 that claimed hundreds of lives during the first Kumbh Mela after India's independence.
Eve Sampson reports on international news as part of the 2024-25 Times Fellowship class, aimed at emerging journalists.
