A massive Hindu religious festival turned deadly Wednesday when at least 39 people were killed during a crowd stampede.
Police reported that at least 90 people were hurt at the Maha Kumbh Mela festival in northern India. The festival runs for six weeks and is expected to draw 400 million Hindus by the time it is finished, according to Reuters, which noted that pilgrims seek to bathe in “sacred river waters.”
On Wednesday, one of the major days of the festival, crowds surged toward the confluence of rivers in which bathing is considered by Hindus to be an important act to increase a believer’s chances of salvation after death.
“More bodies are coming in. We have nearly 40 bodies here. We are transferring them out as well and handing over to families one by one,” a source told Reuters.
An official at the hospital where victims were taken said many who died had heart attacks or existing medical issues. […]
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