Mahakumbh Nagar, Jan. 30 -- The chaos erupted suddenly-one moment, devotees were waiting patiently for their sacred dip; the next, screams filled the air as bodies collapsed under the crushing weight of the surging crowd.
"For a moment, I thought I was dead," said Alpona Sen, a devotee from Kolkata, recounting the harrowing stampede that unfolded near pillar number 157 in the Kumbh area.
The stampede began around 2 a.m. when lakhs of devotees surged toward Sangam Nose, unaware that many had been sleeping overnight at the site to secure a prime spot for the Mahurat bath at 3 a.m.
"We had been waiting since last night," said Rajesh Tiwari from Varanasi. "Some of us were resting, while others were changing clothes after an early dip.
Sudde...