Jesus Nazareno 'traslacion' draws million-strong crowd, raises safety concerns

On Thursday, January 9, the 'traslacion' of Jesus Nazareno began at around 4:41 AM in Manila, drawing a massive crowd of nearly one million devotees as the andas moved through streets like Katigbak Drive and Roxas Boulevard.

The procession faced delays due to enthusiastic devotees wanting to get closer to the religious image near Arlegui Street and Quezon Boulevard, causing congestion and prompting concerns about safety as some devotees scrambled to touch Jesus Nazareno along Ayala Bridge.

Despite warnings from the Hijos of Nazareno to refrain from climbing the andas, some devotees climbed it during the Traslacion by stepping on other people, hugging, and clinging to the cross of Jesus Nazareno. Local authorities confirmed that one of the ropes used to pull the carriage snapped, causing it to lose balance and slowing down the procession.

Police officers helped carry the andas from then on and intervened multiple times to prevent people from climbing onto the carriage before it reached Plaza Miranda, where emergency rescue teams assisted devotees struggling to breathe as they crossed road barriers.

Despite a ban on riding the andas, authorities were unable to stop many devotees from climbing onto the carriage, with some even injuring themselves in the process. The image of the Jesus Nazarene reached the Minor Basilica and National Shrine of Jesus Nazareno in Quiapo, Manila, at around 1:26 a.m. early Friday.