MUMBAI, India – A stampede in India’s Uttar Pradesh state that killed at least 30 people is “very, very tragic,” says Cardinal Oswald Gracias.

The incident happened as people celebrated the Hindu festival of Maha Kumbh Mela, which is taking place in northern India’s Prayagraj city, where the Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati rivers converge. The religious event takes place every 12 years and lasts six weeks and began earlier this month.

It is estimated nearly 280 million people have attended the festival since it began two weeks ago.

The pre-dawn crowd crush on Wednesday took place nearly a mile from the confluence in Prayagraj, where the three rivers meet.

A Hindu attendee going by the name Ravin told Reuters that he saw many people “falling and getting walked on by the crowd and many children and women getting lost, crying for help.”

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Chief minister Yogi Adityanath said there will be an investigation of the lapses by the police that let stampede happen.

“The judicial commission will look into the entire matter and submit its report to the state government within a time limit,” he said.

Gracias said the Church offered Mass for the victims of the disaster.

“Simple people – people wanting to search God, searching for God’s message – died,” the cardinal told Crux.

“This is a tragedy that has happened. We are not blaming anyone. I can only imagine the sufferings of the families and the trauma and the anxiety they have to undergo as they search for their loved ones,” he said.

He said special prayers were also said for the grieving families of the victims, expressing solidarity with those affected by the disaster, and the Church in India will continue to pray.

“Personally, it’s my suffering too, I suffer with the people, as I have been there and I have seen the place. I can visualize what might have happened. We can only pray for those affected and offer our condolences. We hope the Government is able to make sure that machinery and systems are in place with proper transport to prevent anything like this happening again,” Gracias told Crux.

“Knowing the pain and providing sympathy, understanding and whatever help is needed I’m sure will be done by the Government. I would like to add that our Catholic Nazareth hospital is designated to manage the health emergency of the pilgrims of the Mahakumbh, our Catholic schools and Institutions are always open to them for assistance. We are in complete solidarity with them. We are one and will offer all help needed,” the cardinal added.

Father Anand Mathew, a Catholic peace activist who has been living and serving in Varanasi for over 45 years, told Crux that sources have told him the death figure is much higher than what has been reported.

“There is very good systematic arrangements made for the VIPs. But for the common people it is a total failure of arrangements leading to law-and-order problems.  They want the common people to participate but don’t make arrangements for them.  This is clearly the policy of the Government based on capitalism:  Pro-rich and anti-poor,” the priest said.

Bishop Louis Mascarenhas of Allahabad said it was a “very unfortunate” incident.

“My heartiest sympathies with the bereaved families and friends. May the souls of the deceased in the stampede rest in peace,” he told Crux.

Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão, President of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI), issued a stement expressing deep distress over the tragedy.

“It is heartbreaking to witness such a calamity during a sacred event that draws millions in devotion. In this time of mourning, we, the Bishops of India, unite in prayer for the departed souls and their loved ones. May God grant strength to the grieving families, healing to the injured and eternal peace to those who have passed away,” he said.