Mahakumbh Nagar: At least 30 people were dead and 60 others injured in a stampede at the Maha Kumbh Mela in Mahakumbh Nagar in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj in the early hours of Wednesday, according to officials. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath described the incident as heart-wrenching and announced an ex gratia of Rs 25 lakh each to the bereaved families.
Giving further details, Vaibhav Krishna, DIG, Mahakumbh, said, "Before Brahma Muhurta, between 1 am to 2 am, a huge crowd gathered on the Akhara Marg. Due to this crowd, the barricades on the other side broke and the crowd ran over the devotees waiting to take a holy dip of Brahma Muhurta on the other side. About 90 people were taken to the hospital through ambulances but unfortunately, 30 devotees have died."
The DIG further said that out of these 30, 25 have been identified and the rest are yet to be identified. "36 people are being treated at the local medical college. At present, the situation is normal. Keeping in mind the convenience of the devotees, CM Yogi Adityanath has requested all the Mahamandaleshwars, Saints, Akharas to take a holy dip with some delay...Amrit Snan of the Akharas have been concluded safely," he said.
The incident happened near the crowded Sangam during the Mauni Amavasya holy dip. The mishap occurred when a barrier broke, officials said. Speaking to ETV Bharat, a devotee who was present at the spot when the stampede occurred, said his mother was still missing after the incident. Narrating what had happened, the middle-aged man who did not reveal his name said when he and his family including his mother, nephew and wife were coming out after the holy dip, several people were going for the bath.
"Policemen came and asked those who were sleeping to wake up and leave the area. In the melee, my nephew and my wife fell. We somehow managed to save ourselves. My mother was behind me. She also fell. Someone helped her to stand up. When I tried to assist her, someone pushed me and I again fell. Since then I do not know where my mother is," the devotee said.
The man said he had contacted the Kumbh Mela authorities who asked him to share all the information. "So far, I have not been told where my mother is," he said.
Another devotee told ETV Bharat that there was "mismanagement" in the area which led to the incident. "We were coming out after bathing and some people were arriving to take the bath from the same route. There was hardly any management. My neighbour was with us. She must have fallen during the melee. It must have been around 1 am," the elderly devotee said.
Om Prakash from Mirzapur said he could not find his acquaintances who had gone missing after the stampede. "I visited the hospital but could not find them. Now they have told me to go to another hospital that is 3 km away from here," he said.
Sarojini from Karnataka said many people fell and the crowd went berserk. "We came in a batch of 60 people in two buses. Suddenly there was pushing in the crowd, and we got trapped. A lot of us fell down and the crowd went uncontrolled," she said, breaking down outside the hospital where many injured were taken. "There was no chance for escape, there was pushing from all sides," the woman added.
Numerous pilgrims decided to make an early exit from the festival. "I heard the news and saw the bathing site," attendee Sanjay Nishad said. "My family got scared, so we're leaving."
Akanksha Rana said that the stampede began after some crowd control barriers collapsed. Pilgrim Malti Pandey said he was on his way to bathe in the river along a barricaded walking route when the stampede began. "Suddenly a crowd started pushing and many people were crushed," the 42-year-old said.
On Tuesday, in view of the anticipated influx of pilgrims, the Mela authorities had issued an advisory urging devotees to follow crowd-management guidelines for safety and convenience. Pilgrims were asked to use designated lanes to reach Sangam Ghat, stay in their lanes while approaching the bathing area, and avoid overcrowding at ghats after the holy dip. They were urged to proceed promptly to their destinations after the bath to ensure smooth movement.
Holy bath resumes
Amrit snan, the traditional bathing ritual of akharas that was deferred due to the stampede at Maha Kumbh, resumed later in the day. Led by Mahant Ravindra Puri, head of the Akhil Bhartiya Akhara Parishad, the procession of akharas made its way on foot towards the Sangam for the snan. The procession, notably less grand than usual, began around 2:30 PM. The Amrit snan was originally scheduled in the early hours of the day but was postponed following the stampede.
PM Modi condoles
Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered his deepest condolences to the devotees who lost their family members in the stampede, describing the tragedy as extremely saddening.
In a post on X, PM Modi said the local administration in Prayagraj is giving all possible help to the victims and wished a speedy recovery to the injured.
प्रयागराज महाकुंभ में हुआ हादसा अत्यंत दुखद है। इसमें जिन श्रद्धालुओं ने अपने परिजनों को खोया है, उनके प्रति मेरी गहरी संवेदनाएं। इसके साथ ही मैं सभी घायलों के शीघ्र स्वस्थ होने की कामना करता हूं। स्थानीय प्रशासन पीड़ितों की हरसंभव मदद में जुटा हुआ है। इस सिलसिले में मैंने…
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 29, 2025
Earlier in the day, 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.
Officials confirmed with the officer on Special Duty for the Mela Akanksha Rana saying, "Some people have got injured and have been hospitalised after a barrier broke at the Sangam. We are yet to have the exact count of those injured". She said the injured were receiving medical treatment.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi reviewed the situation and spoke multiple times with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The PM called for immediate support measures to ensure the safety of the pilgrims and address the overcrowding issues.
"PM Modi spoke to Yogi Ji about the situation at the Kumbh Mela, reviewed the developments, and called for immediate support measures," an official said.
Yogi appeals to devotees to not go towards Sangam
In the wake of the stampede, UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath appealed to devotees to not go towards the Sangam Nose, and to carry out their bathing rituals at other ghats near the Ganga.
In a post on X, Yogi wrote, "Maha Kumbh-2025, dear devotees come to Prayagraj, Take bath at the ghat of Mother Ganga near which you are, do not try to go towards Sangam Noj. All of you should follow the instructions of the administration and cooperate in making arrangements. People are bathing peacefully at all the ghats of Sangam. Do not pay any attention to any rumours."
महाकुम्भ-2025, प्रयागराज आए प्रिय श्रद्धालुओं,
— Yogi Adityanath (@myogiadityanath) January 29, 2025
माँ गंगा के जिस घाट के आप समीप हैं, वहीं स्नान करें, संगम नोज की ओर जाने का प्रयास न करें।
आप सभी प्रशासन के निर्देशों का अनुपालन करें, व्यवस्था बनाने में सहयोग करें।
संगम के सभी घाटों पर शांतिपूर्वक स्नान हो रहा है। किसी भी अफवाह…
Amrit Snan on Mauni Amavasya
The Amrit Snan on Mauni Amavasya is one of the most significant rituals of the Maha Kumbh. This year, the spiritual significance of the day was heightened by a rare celestial event, 'Triveni Yog,' occurring after 144 years, drawing around 10 crore pilgrims.
Wednesday's incident occurred near the Triveni Sangam, the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati rivers. The Triveni Sangam is considered the holiest by Hindus, with a belief that taking a dip in it during Maha Kumbh and particularly on special bathing dates like Mauni Amavasya washes away people's sins and provides them 'Moksha' or salvation.
Officials reminded the visitors to remain patient at barricades and pontoon bridges, avoiding rushing or jostling to prevent accidents. The administration emphasised that all ghats along the 12 km stretch of Sangam are equally sacred, encouraging the devotees to bathe at the first ghat they reach to prevent overcrowding.
