Top Seer At Kumbh Mela In Haridwar Dies Of COVID-19

The announcement from authorities in Haridwar, Uttarakhand, came as India recorded more than 217,000 fresh cases in the past 24 hours, taking the total number of new infections to more than two million since April 1.

A seer has died from COVID-19 and 80 other holy men have tested positive after attending a vast religious festival where millions of pilgrims have been ignoring Covid-19 advice despite a national surge in infections. The announcement from authorities in Haridwar, Uttarakhand, came as India recorded more than 217,000 fresh cases in the past 24 hours, taking the total number of new infections to more than two million since April 1. The festival of Kumbh Mela has long rung alarm bells among health experts who say it could turn into a "super-spreader" as pilgrims return home to their towns and villages all across India. A gathering on the banks of the holy River Ganges in Haridwar happens every 12 years, and has attracted as many as 25 million people to the site since January, including some 4.6 million on two auspicious days this week alone.