As many as 16 passengers returning from Kumbh Mela tested positive for COVID-19 in Mariani railway station on Monday.

Sources say the said passengers arrived in Mariani via Rajdhani express from Uttarakhand's Haridwar where Kumbh Mela was held.

On Monday, Mariani reported 24 positive cases of COVID-19.

Many have termed Kumbh mela as a 'superspreader' after a total of 2167 persons contracted the virus over a span of five days.

The festival saw lakhs of devotees without masks, flouting social distancing norms, attending the event amid a devastating second wave gripping the country.