Key takeaways:

• At least 30 people have died and many injured in a stampede at the Kumbh Mela festival.
• Authorities expect up to 400 million pilgrims to attend this year's festival.
• Poor crowd control and safety measures have raised serious concerns among attendees and officials.

A devastating stampede occurred at the world’s largest religious gathering, India's Kumbh Mela, resulting in at least 30 fatalities and many more injuries on Wednesday. The pre-dawn incident transpired as massive crowds surged towards the sacred bathing sites in Prayagraj, with eyewitnesses describing panic and chaos as barriers collapsed under the weight of the thronging devotees. A doctor on-site confirmed that many of the injured were trampled by the crowd as it surged forward towards the rivers, exacerbating the tragedy further.

Witness accounts detail harrowing experiences, with pilgrim Renu Devi, age 48, recounting how she was overtaken by the advancing crowd, stating, "The entire crowd fell on top of me, trampling me as it moved forward." The annual Kumbh Mela, a key event on the Hindu religious calendar, was expected to attract around 400 million people seeking spiritual purification through ritual bathing at the confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers due to a rare planetary alignment.

Despite authorities installing hundreds of security cameras and deploying a command center for monitoring crowd movements, the tragic event demonstrated significant lapses in crowd management. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences, labeling the incident as "extremely sad," while officials implemented emergency protocols to manage the aftermath, including the construction of a temporary hospital to care for victims.

The stampede highlights the historical dangers associated with large gatherings at religious events in India. Crowd-related incidents have claimed lives in the past; the worst instance occurred in 1954, when over 400 individuals perished on a single day during the Kumbh Mela. Critics, including opposition leader Rahul Gandhi, have voiced concerns regarding the prioritization of VIP comfort over the safety of general attendees, calling for a reevaluation of crowd control measures.

Many festival-goers were left shaken and chose to exit early. Pilgrim Sanjay Nishad stated: "My family got scared, so we’re leaving." As the festival continues, officials are urging participants to remain vigilant and avoid congested areas to prevent further tragedies. The ongoing festival is set to conclude on February 26, 2025, when a dramatic influx of devotees is anticipated.

For continuous coverage of this unfolding story, visit SCMP, Le Monde, Al Jazeera, and CBS News.