Three million Hindus take ‘holy dip’ a day after fatal crowd crush

Millions of Hindus have thronged the northern Indian city of Prayagraj for the Mahakumbh Mela festival, a day after dozens died at a crowd crush at the world’s largest religious gathering.

Train and bus stations in the city saw a surge in crowds as people continued to arrive for the festival, although some devotees remained nervous after the deadly crush.

Krishna Soni, a student from the western state of Rajasthan’s Bikaner city, and his family of eight linked themselves together with string to ensure they would not lose each other in the massive crowd.

Police said 30 people were killed in Wednesday’s crush and 60 were injured.

The Mahakumbh Mela – held every 12 years – is expected to draw some 400 million devotees this year, officials estimate.

The festival is taking place at a 4,000-hectare (9,900-acre) temporary township created for the purpose on the river banks – the size of 7,500 football fields.

About 150,000 tents have been erected to accommodate devotees along with almost an equal number of toilets.