At least 30 people were killed and 60 others sustained injuries on Wednesday in a stampede at the Sangam Nose as devotees jostled for space to take a holy dip on the auspicious occasion of Mauni Amavasya at the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj.
Out of the 30 deceased, 25 have been identified, while the remaining five are yet to be identified. Some of the deceased include devotees from other states as well. Four of the deceased were from Karnataka, and one each from Assam and Gujarat. Among those injured, 36 are undergoing treatment at the hospital and the rest have been taken by their families.
The incident occurred before the Brahma Muhurat between 1 AM and 2 AM, when a massive crowd built up on the Akhara Marg in the Mela area rushed to take the holy dip.
Later in the day, Mela Officer Vijay Kiran Anand and DIG Vaibhav Krishna provided details, explaining how the barricades collapsed due to pressure, causing the incident. After the barricades collapsed, people rushed to the other side, trampling devotees who were waiting for the Brahma Muhurat snan.
Following this, the administration immediately carried out rescue operations and cleared the crowd at the incident spot. As many as 90 injured people were rushed to the hospital by ambulance. However, 30 devotees lost their lives.
The Mela administration has issued a helpline number (1920) for devotees’ assistance and tracing the missing persons. The situation has been brought under control.
In view of the incident, the Mela administration also issued strict orders that no VIP protocol would be followed and that this rule will apply to all major bathing festivals. Meanwhile, a total 6.99 crore devotees have taken the holy dip on January 29.
Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath expressed condolences over the Maha Kumbh stampede. He assured the Police, Administration, NDRF, and SDRF have been deployed and all other arrangements that could be made besides this have been made to ensure the safety of the devotees.
#WATCH | On Mahakumbh stampede, Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath says “The incident is heart-wrenching. We express our deepest condolences to all those families who lost their loved ones. We have been in constant touch with the administration since last night. The Mela Authority,… pic.twitter.com/3dsSeVxmOg
— ANI (@ANI) January 29, 2025
ALSO READ: Maha Kumbh Pilgrims Killed In Road Accident In Amethi
