Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is the second top official after Prime Minister Narendra Modi to offer condolences to the families of those who have lost loved ones in the crush. In a post on X, he called the accident in Prayagraj "extremely painful" and expressed condolences to victims' relatives.

The Hindu festival that turned deadly in northern India on Wednesday is a religious gathering with deep spiritual meaning for devotees who come by the millions to take a cleansing dip in waters they consider sacred.

A tragic stampede at the Kumbh Mela in Uttar Pradesh resulted in the deaths of at least four people, including a woman and her daughter from Belagavi. The state government has established a helpline for affected families,