Top

30 Dead, 60 Injured in Kumbh Mela Stampede

30 people were killed and 60 injured in a stampede at Sangam during the ongoing Maha Kumbh Mela on Mauni Amavasya

New Delhi/Prayagraj: At least 30 people were killed and 60 others injured in a pre-dawn stampede which took place at the Sangam amid the ongoing Maha Kumbh, as crores of pilgrims turned up to take part in the second Amrit Snan on the occasion of Mauni Amavasya on Wednesday.

Of the 30 dead, the police has identified 19 victims, including four from Karnataka and one each from Gujarat and Assam. The police said that many injured people have been taken back to their native places by their relatives and 36 people were undergoing treatment in medical facilities.

The tragedy struck at about 1 am when crores of devotees gathered near the Sangam -- the point where the Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati rivers meet -- to take the traditional holy dip on one of the holiest days of the six-week event. After the stampede, piles of clothes, shoes, bags and other discarded belongings were seen scattered on the ground.

The chaos unfolded when people were bathing at the sacred Ganga Sangam. Suddenly, a commotion broke out, and in the midst of some confusion, many were separated from their companions. One eyewitness recalled hearing the sound of ambulance sirens blaring through the continuous chants of mantras in every direction, signaling the emergency situation, as the police arrived to manage the growing crisis. All that remained visible were police vehicles and ambulances, amidst the silence that followed the chaos.

Those injured were taken by the security personnel and rescue workers on stretchers to the central hospital established in the Kumbh Mela area. Some seriously injured people were taken to Bailey Hospital and Swaroop Rani Medical College for treatment.Sharing their heart-wrenching accounts of the stampede, a devotee from Deoria district described the moment he was about to bathe in the Sangam when the crowd became overwhelming. After hearing a loud noise, he looked back and realised his wife, Poonam Devi, had gone missing. Despite extensive search, he was unable to trace her.A woman from Bihar said she was taking a dip in the Sangam when the stampede occurred, causing her to lose sight of her 52-year-old grandmother. “I have been searching for her since midnight and won’t leave until I find her,” she said, her voice trembling. She described the scene as one of total pandemonium, with nothing but the sound of ambulance sirens filling the air.UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath said the incident took place between 1 am and 2 am when some devotees climbed over the barricades at Akhara Marg. “Between 1 am to 2 am, at the akhara route where arrangements were made for the Amrit Snan of the akharas, some devotees crossed over the barricades and were critically injured. They were immediately rushed to hospital where treatment was promptly ensured,” he said after a high-level meeting in Lucknow. On the Amrit Snan, Mr Adityanath said a consensus has been reached with the akharas that they would take the holy dip only after the crowd pressure has decreased at the ghats. “I have personally spoken to Akhara Parishad heads and other seers, including Maha Mandaleshwars and the respected saints have politely agreed to let devotees take the dip and only after the crowd pressure decreases will they take the dip,” he said. “Our first priority is to ensure the safety of devotees,” the CM said, adding “the situation in Prayagraj is under control but the crowd pressure is still there.” He said about 9-10 crore people are in Prayagraj and appealed to devotees to take a dip in the Ganga at their nearest ghats and not try to reach the Sangam Nose to avoid overcrowding. “The elderly, children and asthma patients need to be extremely cautious and bathe at ghats nearest to them. All are Ganga ghats and all would get the same ‘punya’ (divine blessings) onk Mauni Amavasya,” he added.

Describing the tragedy as extremely sad, President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah and several leaders offered their deepest condolences to the devotees who lost their family members in the stampede. In a post on X, Mr Modi said the local administration in Prayagraj is giving all possible help to the victims and wished a speedy recovery to the injured.

Later, at a poll rally in New Delhi, Mr Modi said, “We lost some good souls in the tragic incident at Kumbh and some people have also got hurt. I convey my condolences to the families of those who lost their lives and pray for the early recovery of those injured.” “I am in constant touch with the Uttar Pradesh government. Due to‘Mauni Amavasya’, crores of devotees have reached there. “For some time, the process of bathing had been halted, but now for several hours, the yatris are taking a bath. I once again convey my condolences to the families,” he said.The Congress, however, blamed “half-baked” preparations and “focus on self-publicity” for the stampede. Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi said the news from Prayaraj was heart-rending. “Poor management and prioritising VIP movement over ordinary pilgrims is responsible for this tragic incident,” he said, adding that the government should make proper arrangements to prevent a recurrence of such an incident. “VIP culture should be checked and better arrangements must be made for the pilgrims,” Mr Gandhi said.Hoping for the swift recovery of those injured, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said in a post on X: “Half-baked preparations, VIP movement and a focus on self-publicity instead of management is responsible for this. Such preparations despite spending thousands of crores are condemnable.”

( Source : Deccan Chronicle with agency inputs )
Next Story