Haridwar: Thousands gather for Kumbh Mela amid deadly Covid wave

Tens of thousands of devotees have gathered to take a dip in the sacred Ganges river even as a deadly second Covid wave is sweeping India.

The devotees are marking the second day of an auspicious bathing day on Monday at Kumbh Mela in the town of Haridwar in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand.

Police officials say they are struggling to impose Covid-19 safety protocols and fine violators due to the huge crowds at the site.

This comes as India faces a raging pandemic, recording more than 152,000 cases and 839 deaths on Sunday.

Health experts had appealed for the festival to be cancelled but the government went ahead saying that safety norms would be followed.

Edited by Anshul Verma