Many people are feared to have been injured following a crush at a huge Hindu religious festival in northern India.
The accident is believed to have happened at the Kumbh Mela festival when people who were sleeping by the riverbanks in Prayagraj were trampled by others who had taken a dip in the holy waters.
Emergency officials have been seen taking away what appears to be dead bodies on stretchers.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and federal ministers including Home Minister Amit Shah have expressed condolences for the victims of the Kumbh Mela crush, acknowledging the loss of lives.
However, the Uttar Pradesh government, led by the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Yogi Adityanath, have remained silent on the death toll. The have only said that several people have been injured, some critically.
Despite numerous eyewitness reports and videos indicating fatalities, local authorities have yet to release official numbers or comment on the scale of the tragedy, nearly 12 hours after the incident.
The contrast between the central and state responses has sparked criticism, with many questioning the lack of transparency.
The public is demanding clarity from local officials, while anxious families wait outside hospitals, desperate for news of their missing loved ones. In the chaos, key communication has been itself a casualty.
