A stampede at the Mahakumbh in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, during the early hours of Wednesday has resulted in at least 30 fatalities and left 60 others injured. The incident occurred as millions of Hindu devotees gathered at the ghats for the ‘Amrit Snan’ on ‘Mauni Amavasya’, one of the most significant days of the six-week-long religious festival.
The stampede was triggered when a barricade on the Akhara route collapsed between 1 and 2 am, causing a massive surge in the crowd. As devotees tried to rush to the holy waters, many were knocked over, leading to chaos. Eyewitnesses described scenes of panic and confusion, with people tripping over each other in their desperate attempts to reach the sacred site. Some blamed poor crowd control measures and the closure of certain routes, which created a bottleneck and intensified the panic.
DIG Kumbh Mela, Vaibhav Krishna, confirmed that the surge in the crowd caused the barricade to break, and devotees crossed to the other side, trampling over those waiting for the ‘Brahm Muhurta’ bath. The administration responded swiftly by launching a rescue operation, setting up a green corridor for ambulances, and transporting 90 injured individuals to nearby hospitals. Unfortunately, 30 of the victims succumbed to their injuries.
Out of the 25 victims identified, many others remain in critical condition at local hospitals. The Mela administration has also set up a helpline (1920) for those seeking information about missing family members.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has ordered a thorough investigation into the incident to determine the cause of the stampede and ensure that such a tragedy is not repeated.
