At least 27 people have died and dozens more were injured in a stampede during a Hindu religious bathing festival on the Godavari river in Andhra Pradesh, southern India. The incident occurred on Tuesday as tens of thousands of pilgrims gathered for the Pushkaralu festival in the town of Rajahmundry.
According to state administrator Arun Kumar, the stampede was triggered by pilgrims trying to retrieve their shoes that had fallen off in the rush to the riverbank. The tragedy happened shortly after the 12-day festival began in the early hours of the morning. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu confirmed 27 fatalities, while 34 others were hospitalised.
Witness V Satyanarayana described the scene as frightening, with women and children crying for help. He said the stampede lasted nearly 20 minutes, and it took over an hour for police to bring the situation under control. Relatives of the victims wailed as bodies lay nearby, and some pilgrims reported delays in ambulances reaching the site due to overcrowded roads.
Officials noted that Rajahmundry, a small town, was overwhelmed by the influx of hundreds of thousands of pilgrims, making the situation unmanageable. Many had arrived two days early, travelling by bus, train, and other vehicles. Swamy Swaroopanand, a Hindu holy man, criticised the belief that bathing on the first day of the festival is more auspicious, stating that it is the same as any other day.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief on Twitter, saying he was “deeply pained” by the tragedy. Deadly stampedes are common at Indian religious festivals due to large crowds and inadequate safety measures. In October 2013, a stampede in Madhya Pradesh killed over 110 people, mostly women and children.
