India surpasses 200,000 COVID-19 cases as thousands gather for Kumbh Mela festival

This footage filmed on April 14 shows thousands of people gathering in the north Indian city of Haridwar, to join the Hindu festival of Kumbh Mela.

This footage filmed on April 14 shows thousands of people gathering in the north Indian city of Haridwar, to join the Hindu festival of Kumbh Mela.

Thousands of devotees celebrate the religious event without wearing a mask and bathe in the River Ganges, amid a coronavirus spike in the country.

According to the Indian government, millions of pilgrims flocked to Haridwar at a time when India recorded more than 200,000 new coronavirus infections in a single day, and hospitals witness severe shortages of beds and oxygen.

During the celebrations, at least 1,000 new cases of COVID-19 were recorded (April 13-14), with Haridwar becoming a new hotspot for the spread of the virus.

The city of Haridwar only observes the festival every 12 years.

Social distancing measures have been extremely difficult to enforce due to the number of people participating.