Indian PM condoles stampede deaths

NEW DELHI - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday expressed condolences for the deaths during a stampede that occurred in the early hours of the day in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh.

Modi, however, didn't specify the death toll or the number of injured persons.

Though there was no official confirmation, local media reports suggested at least 17 people had died and more than 50 were injured in the stampede that occurred at Prayagraj district of Uttar Pradesh during the ongoing 45-day religious and spiritual congregation called "Maha Kumbh".

"The accident that happened in Prayagraj Maha Kumbh is extremely sad. My deepest condolences to the devotees who lost their loved ones. I wish for the speedy recovery of the injured," said Modi in a post on X.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath told media that some seriously injured persons had been admitted to hospitals. He also failed to specify the number of casualties in the stampede.

According to him, around 100 million people had congregated in Prayagraj on Wednesday to take the holy dip in the confluence of three rivers, namely Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati on the pious day of "Mauni Amavasya".

Wednesday was one of the special days during the ongoing Maha Kumbh festival for the Hindu devotees to take the holy dip.