International News
Deadly Stampede At Hindu Festival In India Leaves 15 Dead
A devastating pre-dawn stampede at the Kumbh Mela, the world’s largest religious gathering, left at least 15 people dead and dozens more injured early Wednesday.
The tragedy has been traced to a surging crowd breaking through police barriers, trampling bystanders in a chaotic manner.
The tragic incident occurred around 1:00 am local time (1930 GMT Tuesday) as millions of Hindu pilgrims rushed to participate in a sacred ritual bathing at the confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers.
Many of the victims were people resting on the ground when the crowd surged forward in the darkness.
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“I was sitting near a barricade, and during the pushing and shoving, the entire crowd fell on top of me, trampling me as it moved forward,” said 48-year-old pilgrim Renu Devi. “When the crowd surged, elderly people and women were crushed, and no one came forward to help.”
Emergency teams quickly responded, carrying victims away on stretchers as discarded shoes, clothing, and personal belongings littered the area.
Authorities have yet to release an official death toll, but a doctor treating survivors at a nearby hospital confirmed “at least 15 people” had died, with many more injured.
The doctor spoke on condition of anonymity, as they were not authorized to discuss the situation publicly.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the tragedy as “extremely sad” and extended his “deepest condolences” to the families of the victims. “I wish for the speedy recovery of all injured,” he added.
Meanwhile, political opposition leader Rahul Gandhi criticized the authorities, blaming the disaster on poor crowd control.
“Mismanagement and the administration’s special focus on VIP movement instead of common devotees are responsible for this tragic incident,” he wrote on social media.
The six-week Kumbh Mela is one of the holiest events in the Hindu calendar, drawing tens of millions of devotees.
Wednesday was a particularly significant bathing day, with saffron-clad holy men leading mass rituals.
However, in the aftermath of the stampede, festival officials patrolled the grounds with loudspeakers, urging pilgrims to stay away from the main bathing area.
“We humbly request all devotees do not come to the main bathing spot,” one official announced over a megaphone. “Please cooperate with security personnel.”
Despite the warnings, state officials reported that millions of pilgrims had already taken their ritual baths between midnight and early morning.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath stated that medical workers were treating the seriously injured and assured the public that the situation was “under control.”
The Kumbh Mela is a logistical challenge of enormous scale.
Organizers had likened this year’s event to the size of a temporary nation, with an estimated 400 million pilgrims expected by the festival’s end on February 26.
To manage the crowds, authorities installed hundreds of surveillance cameras and drones to monitor congestion.
However, stampedes at religious events remain a deadly risk in India. In 1954, over 400 people died in a single day at the Kumbh Mela, marking one of the deadliest crowd disasters in history.
More recently, in 2013, another 36 pilgrims lost their lives in a similar tragedy in Prayagraj.
Despite the security measures in place, Wednesday’s stampede has once again raised concerns about crowd management at massive religious gatherings.
As frightened devotees began leaving Prayagraj, railway official Manish Kumar reported that several special train services had been halted due to excessive crowding.
“I heard the news and saw the bathing site,” said festival attendee Sanjay Nishad. “My family got scared, so we’re leaving.”
NATO air defence systems have intercepted a third ballistic missile believed to have been launched from Iran after it entered Turkish airspace, Turkey’s Defence Ministry confirmed on Friday, raising fresh concerns about the growing tensions in the Middle East.
In a statement, the ministry said the missile was neutralised by NATO air and missile defence assets deployed in the eastern Mediterranean after it crossed into Turkish territory.
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The latest interception triggered security alerts across parts of southern Turkey.
Air raid sirens reportedly sounded at the strategic Incirlik Air Base, a key NATO military facility that hosts United States troops and other allied personnel.
Residents in the nearby city of Adana were awakened around 3:25 a.m. by the warning alarms. Some locals reportedly captured footage showing what appeared to be a fast-moving object on fire streaking across the sky.
Similar sirens were also heard in the eastern Turkish city of Batman around 4:00 a.m., with reports indicating the alarm may have been linked to a nearby military drone base located close to the city’s airport.
The incident marks the third time NATO defence systems have intercepted missiles linked to Iran in recent weeks. The first missile was shot down on March 4, while a second was intercepted earlier this week.
Following Monday’s incident, the United States temporarily shut down its consulate in Adana and urged American citizens to leave southeastern Turkey due to security concerns.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, however, reportedly denied that the missile had been launched from Iran during a telephone conversation with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The rising tensions come amid the ongoing conflict that erupted on February 28 involving the United States, Israel and Iran. Since the outbreak of hostilities, Tehran has reportedly carried out retaliatory strikes across several locations in the Middle East.
Incirlik Air Base remains one of NATO’s most important strategic military facilities in the region. The base has hosted US troops for decades and also accommodates military personnel from other NATO member states including Spain and Poland.
Another key NATO installation is located in Kurecik, in Turkey’s Malatya province, where US troops operate an early-warning radar system capable of detecting missile launches from Iran. The radar facility forms part of NATO’s broader ballistic missile defence shield.
Although Turkish authorities have consistently denied that radar data from the base has been shared with Israel, its presence has reportedly raised concerns in Tehran.
Earlier this week, Turkey also confirmed the deployment of a Patriot missile defence system in Malatya as NATO strengthens its regional missile defence posture amid the escalating conflict.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has released a disturbing update on the escalating conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran, revealing that thousands of people have been killed or injured in just under two weeks.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that health systems across the Middle East are under “immense strain” and are at risk of complete collapse if the crisis continues.
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According to WHO reports, Iran has suffered over 1,300 deaths and around 9,000 injuries, while Lebanon has recorded at least 570 deaths and approximately 1,400 injuries.
In Israel, at least 15 people have died and more than 2,100 have been injured since hostilities escalated.
The conflict began on February 28, following a massive joint strike by US and Israeli forces that targeted top Iranian officials, including the country’s Supreme Leader.
The violence has since spread across the region, with retaliatory attacks targeting Israeli sites and US military bases in neighboring countries.
The humanitarian impact is severe. Over 100,000 Iranians and up to 700,000 Lebanese citizens have been displaced, many living in overcrowded conditions with limited access to clean water, sanitation, and medical care.
The WHO warns that these conditions put women and children at particular risk of disease outbreaks.
The organization also highlighted a growing trend of attacks on healthcare infrastructure, reporting dozens of strikes on hospitals and medical facilities across Iran and Lebanon.
Such attacks have not only resulted in deaths but also deprived entire communities of critical medical care when they need it most.
Tedros emphasized the urgent need for all parties to respect international law and protect civilians, calling for unimpeded humanitarian access and immediate measures to prevent the collapse of fragile health systems.
With the conflict continuing to escalate, the WHO has stressed that immediate action is required to protect lives, ensure medical support reaches affected populations, and prevent the humanitarian crisis from worsening.
Portugal officially inaugurated its new president, Antonio Jose Seguro, on Monday, pledging to bring stability to a nation shaken by political uncertainty and natural disasters.
Seguro, the centre-left candidate, won last month’s presidential run-off against far-right rival Andre Ventura, following weeks of catastrophic storms that killed at least seven people and caused approximately €4 billion ($4.6 billion) in damage.
Speaking at his swearing-in ceremony in Lisbon’s parliament, Seguro emphasized cooperation with the minority right-wing government and vowed to end the country’s “electoral frenzy.”
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“I will do everything I can to put an end to this electoral frenzy,” he said, pointing to the inability of previous governments to complete their terms.
Amid global crises, including conflicts in the Middle East and a more isolationist US approach under President Donald Trump, Seguro stressed the importance of multilateralism.
“The force of law has been replaced by the power of the strongest,” he remarked.
Seguro succeeds Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, a conservative who leaves office at 77 after serving two five-year terms.
While the Portuguese presidency is largely ceremonial, Seguro’s leadership signals a commitment to political stability and international engagement.
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