At least 15 individuals have tragically lost their lives due to a crowd crush at a railway station in New Delhi, as large crowds hurried to secure trains for the Kumbh Mela, the largest religious gathering in the world, according to officials.

The Kumbh Mela draws tens of millions of Hindu devotees every 12 years to Prayagraj in northern India, and has seen its share of crowd disasters in the past, including a recent incident last month when at least 30 people perished in a stampede at the sacred meeting point of the Ganges, Yamuna, and the legendary Saraswati rivers.

The surge at the train station occurred on Saturday as desperate crowds attempted to board trains for the ongoing event, which is set to conclude on February 26.

Local media reports indicate that the casualties included 10 women and three children.

Dr. Ritu Saxena, the deputy medical superintendent of Lok Nayak Hospital in New Delhi, informed Agence France-Presse, “I can confirm 15 fatalities at the hospital. There are no visible injuries. Most likely, they succumbed to hypoxia, or perhaps some blunt force trauma, which will be verified post-autopsy.”

“Additionally, 11 individuals sustained injuries. Most of them are in stable condition and experiencing orthopedic issues,” she added.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences via X, stating, “My thoughts are with those mourning their loved ones. I pray for the swift recovery of the injured. The authorities are providing assistance to those affected by this unfortunate incident.”

In response to the tragedy, local authorities have initiated an investigation and confirmed that the situation is currently under control.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh shared his sorrow over the incident on social media, declaring, “I am profoundly saddened by the loss of life in this stampede at New Delhi railway station. In this time of sorrow, my heart goes out to the grieving families, and I pray for the quick recovery of the injured.”

The governor of the capital, Vinai Kumar Saxena, reported that disaster management teams have been mobilized and that “all hospitals are prepared to handle any emergencies.”

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw mentioned that additional special trains are being operated from New Delhi to manage the influx of devotees.

The Kumbh Mela spans six weeks and serves as a monumental event in the Hindu religious calendar. Officials have noted that around 500 million devotees have visited the festival since its inception last month.

Historically, crowd-related tragedies have marred the festival, with more than 400 people losing their lives from trampling or drowning on a single day in 1954, marking it as one of the deadliest crowd disasters worldwide. In 2013, during the last occurrence of the Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, another 36 individuals perished in a similar stampede.