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Mahakumbh stampede: 25 victims had been identified, portion others remained captious astatine section hospitals. (Express Photo)
A pre-dawn stampede astatine the Mahakumbh successful Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, turned a ineffable gathering into a country of devastation connected Wednesday, leaving astatine slightest 30 radical dormant and 60 injured. The calamity unfolded arsenic millions of Hindu devotees converged astatine the ghats for the ‘Amrit Snan’ connected ‘Mauni Amavasya’, 1 of the astir auspicious bathing days of the six-week-long spiritual festival.
Eyewitnesses described a chaotic surge successful the crowd, with devotees toppling implicit each other successful a hopeless unreserved to scope the beatified waters. Some blamed the mismanagement of assemblage control, portion others pointed to way closures that led to a bottleneck, triggering panic, astatine the world’s biggest spiritual gathering.
The Uttar Pradesh medication had anticipated a monolithic turnout of implicit 10 crore devotees for the lawsuit and had ramped up security. However, a barricade connected the Akhara way gave mode betwixt 1 and 2 am, causing thousands of devotees to spill implicit to the different broadside successful a frenzied rush.
Crowds surge astatine the Mahakumbh grounds. (Express Photo by Chitral Khambhati)
During a property conference, DIG Kumbh Mela Vaibhav Krishna confirmed that owed to a surge successful the assemblage the barricades broke, resulting successful the stampede.
“The assemblage connected this broadside crossed to the different broadside and started moving implicit devotees waiting for Brahm Muhurta… The medication rapidly enforced the rescue cognition and created a greenish corridor for ambulances, and took 90 injured to the hospitals. Unfortunately, 30 of those devotees person died,” Krishna told reporters.
VIDEO | Maha Kumbh 2025: Addressing a property conference, DIG Kumbh Mela Vaibhav Krishna confirms 30 casualties successful the stampede incident.
“On the Mauni Amavasya Snan, betwixt 1 and 2 americium up of the Brahm Muhurta, immense assemblage gathered connected the Akhara route, due to the fact that of which the… pic.twitter.com/rgauSELmhJ
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) January 29, 2025
He confirmed that 25 victims had been identified, portion others remained captious astatine section hospitals. The Mela medication has acceptable up a helpline (1920) for those seeking accusation astir missing relatives.
The calamity has fueled governmental outrage, with absorption parties slamming the BJP-led authorities for “mismanagement” and prioritising VIP question implicit assemblage control.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed his condolences implicit the incident, saying helium was “deeply saddened” by the nonaccomplishment of lives and praying for the speedy betterment of the injured.
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Crowd astatine Maha Kumbh Mela connected Mauni Amavasya successful Prayagraj connected January 29. (Express photo/ Chitral Khambhati)
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath assured that the concern was nether power and confirmed successful a property league a judicial probe volition beryllium ordered successful the matter.
A three-member judicial committee headed by Justice Harsh Kumar, erstwhile DG VK Gupta and retired IAS DK Singh volition beryllium heading the panel, the UP CM told reporters.
“We person been monitoring the full incidental from the Chief Minister’s power room, the Chief Secretary’s power room, and the DGP’s power country passim the day. Meetings went connected passim the time and determination was continuous connection with the medication regarding the incidents. Since the morning, we person been receiving indispensable guidelines from Prime Minister, Home Minister, National President JP Nadda, Railway Minister, Governor and others,” Adityanath added.
A akin stampede successful 2013 connected the Mahakumbh grounds had near 36 dead.
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