PRAYAGRAJ: Millions of devout Hindus thronged the northern Indian city of Prayagraj on Thursday for the Maha Kumbh festival, a day after dozens died in a stampede in the holy centre on the most auspicious day of the six-week event. 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 crash. 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.
"We are walking very carefully and trying to avoid the crowded areas," he said. Police said 30 people were killed in the stampede at the world's biggest gathering of humanity and 60 were injured, but sources said the death toll was more than 50 and a witness counted at least 39 bodies in the morgue. — Reuters
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