India: 10 Maha Kumbh devotees killed in car crash
February 15, 2025
Ten pilgrims traveling to the Maha Kumbh Mela in India died in a vehicle collision on Friday.
A car carrying devotees from the central Indian state of Chattisgarh rammed into a bus on the Prayagraj-Mirzapur highway in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh.
Another 19 people were also injured in the incident.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed officials to step up relief work and ensure proper treatment of the injured, media reports said.
Indian President Droupadi Murmu expressed condolences to the families of the deceased.
"The news of the death of many people in a road accident on Mirzapur Highway in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh is extremely sad," she said on social media platform X.
Millions attend Maha Kumbh Mela
The Maha Kumbh Mela — touted as the world's largest human gathering — is underway in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj.
The sacred Hindu festival takes place every 12 years in the city.
Devotees take a dip in the holy waters at the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati river.
According to the latest official figures, over 500 million people have attended the 45-day event which began on January 13.
But the festival has not been without tragedy. Earlier this week, seven people returning from the festival died when a bus collided with a truck in Madhya Pradesh state.
On January 29, a pre-dawn stampede in the festival premises left 30 people dead, according to official figures.
India's opposition parties have accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Uttar Pradesh of hiding the real death toll.
Edited by: Alex Berry