30 people died and 60 were injured in a stampede at Maha Kumbh: DIG
#News Bureau January 29,2025
The administration, which was facing criticism for not disclosing the number of casualties in the Maha Kumbh stampede, finally officially gave this information on Wednesday evening. Maha Kumbh DIG Vaibhav Krishna said that 30 people died and 60 people were injured in the stampede that took place in Maha Kumbh on Wednesday morning. The government has constituted a three-member judicial commission headed by Justice Harsh Kumar, former DG VK Gupta and retired IAS DK Singh to investigate the matter. Yogi Adityanath said, ‘We are monitoring the entire incident from the Chief Minister’s control room, Chief Secretary’s control room and DGP’s control room throughout the day.’ He also announced a compensation of Rs 25 lakh each to the families of the deceased on behalf of the state government.
Maha Kumbh DIG Vaibhav Krishna said that 25 people who died have been identified, while the injured are undergoing treatment at the local medical college. The DIG said, ‘For the convenience of the devotees, the fair administration has issued helpline number 1920.’ There was so much crowd in Prayagraj for bathing on the occasion of Mauni Amavasya that there was a stampede. Although there has been crowd in Prayagraj on Mauni Amavasya earlier also, but this time there is a huge crowd due to Maha Kumbh. But adequate arrangements have not been made here accordingly.
The official said, ‘On the day of Mauni Amavasya Snan, a huge crowd gathered on the way to the Akhara between 1 and 2 am just before Brahma Muhurta, breaking the barricades on the other side. The crowd from this side moved to the other side and started crushing the devotees waiting for Brahma Muhurta. The administration immediately launched a rescue operation and created a green corridor for ambulances and rushed 90 injured to the hospital. Unfortunately, 30 of these devotees died.’
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences to those who lost their loved ones after the stampede-like incident at Sangam during the ongoing Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj. Wishing the injured a speedy recovery, PM Modi said the local administration was engaged in helping the victims. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said the situation was under control and some devotees had suffered serious injuries.
The Chief Minister had said earlier in the day that some devotees jumped the barricades and due to this some of them got injured and that led to the stampede. He had said that the situation was under control and urged people not to spread rumours about the Maha Kumbh. He said in a press conference, “There is a huge crowd at the Kumbh. Eight to ten crore devotees are present at the Kumbh. Yesterday, about six crore devotees came and took a holy dip at the Sangam. This incident happened between 1 and 2 am. After the crowd subsides, saints will take Amrit Snan. Pictures of the incident were shared on social media.
Opposition parties are targeting the BJP-led UP government and the Centre and accusing them of mismanagement and adopting VIP culture.
The stampede incident took place in the wee hours of Wednesday. Wednesday is the ‘second royal bath’. Police barricades erected there broke down as lakhs of people thronged the Sangam. The incident took place amid heavy crowds at all the ghats built along the 12 km length of the Sangam and the river bank for the Maha Kumbh. Eyewitnesses told TV channels that several people were injured, while several families were separated.
According to officials, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath thrice over the incident and is monitoring the situation. The Prime Minister is giving instructions for normalising the situation and providing relief. Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Union Health Minister JP Nadda also spoke to Adityanath and assured all possible help from the central government.
Countless ambulances rushed to the spot. The injured have been sent to a temporary hospital in Sector 2 of the Kumbh. Officials have appealed to devotees to vacate the place after taking a dip in the Sangam.
Akhadas had earlier announced that Wednesday’s Amrit Snan has been cancelled following the stampede. However, Akhil Bharatiya Akhada Parishad president Ravindra Puri said the akhadas will take the bath as planned after the crowd subsides following the stampede. Puri said- “Crores of people came in the morning. We tried to postpone the Wednesday morning bath. But now the crowd has reduced. The places where we had to take the holy bath are being cleaned. We will take the holy bath. There will be a bath there. There will be no big procession of all the akhadas, but a rally.”
Akhil Bharatiya Akhada Parishad president Ravindra Puri said that the akhadas are in regular touch with the administration and added that misinformation was spread to create fear in the minds of people, which led to the stampede.
Puri said “We have a lot of time and we are not in a hurry. We can bathe at night as well. Misinformation was spread to create fear in the minds of people in the morning and they succeeded. In the morning when we spoke to everyone, we found that the reality was different and a lot of rumours were spread. I want to urge people not to rush towards Sangam and take a dip wherever they find Ganga ji.”