Patna: At least 11 women from Bihar have lost their lives so far in a tragic stampede, which took place at the Mahakumbh Mela in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, on Wednesday, which was a day of Mauni Amavasya.
The incident, which killed at least 30 devotees and injured 60 others so far, left the families and relatives of the deceased Bihar women in deep mourning.
Among the deceased are Shivkali Devi (65), Saraswati Devi (68), Tara Devi, and Sushila Devi (62). Two more female pilgrims from Aurangabad, Rajrani Devi (65) and Sonam Kumari (20), also died in the stampede. One woman each from Supaul, Madhubani, Muzaffarpur, and Bagaha also succumbed to the incident.
Meanwhile, officials said several persons from Bihar are still missing, including Kanti Devi (65) from Gopalganj and Renu Devi, Siyamani Devi, and Babita Kumari from Jehanabad. The families are left in the hope of news, while the authorities are engaged in searching for missing persons.
One of the largest and most sacred Hindu gatherings, the Mahakumbh Mela is held annually in Prayagraj. Tens of thousands of pilgrims from within the country and from abroad visit the festival to make a sacred dip in the Ganges River. However, this year the alleged “mismanagement” and poor crowd control invited severe criticism against the government.
The day when the stampede happened was Mauni Amavasya, the holiest day of the Mahakumbh. According to witnesses, the stampede was triggered after a crowd of worshippers suddenly walked toward the riverbank. Following the incident, a probe has been launched with the government claiming to work towards preventing such tragedies in the future.
Meanwhile, the Bihar government has announced compensation for the families of the deceased and is providing support to the victims. While expressing his condolences to the families of the victims, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar assured them of all possible support.
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