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.”