Mahakumbh Tragedy: A major accident occurred around 2 AM during the Mauni Amavasya at the Prayagraj Kumbh Mela due to the heavy crowd gathered for the occasion. As a result, 30 people lost their lives and about 90 others were injured. Following the incident, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and BJP President JP Nadda spoke with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The central government has assured the Uttar Pradesh government of all possible help.
On the occasion of Mauni Amavasya, a large number of pilgrims arrived at the Sangam area in Prayagraj around 2 AM on Wednesday night to take a holy dip, causing a stampede. About 16 hours after the tragic incident, official information about the victims has been released. Prayagraj’s District Magistrate Vijay Kiran Anand and the DIG of Mahakumbh Vaibhav Krishna shared the official details in a press conference.
According to DIG Vaibhav Krishna, 30 devotees lost their lives in the stampede, of which 25 have been identified. The identification of 5 victims is still pending.
It is worth noting that during the early hours of Wednesday, a stampede broke out while people were taking a dip at the Sangam. The incident occurred around 2 AM when millions of devotees reached the Sangam to bathe. The sudden surge in the crowd caused barricades to break, leading to people falling and being crushed, causing several injuries.
Eyewitnesses reported that after midnight, the number of people arriving for the holy dip at the Sangam suddenly increased, and the crowd became uncontrollable. After the barricades broke, a stampede ensued. Authorities had already urged pilgrims to take precautions. A video of Prayagraj’s Divisional Commissioner Vijay Vishwas Pant has gone viral, in which he is seen appealing to people to avoid the crowd and stay safe. In the video, he is heard saying, “Get up, get up… take a dip. Many more people are coming; a stampede could occur.”
The Sangam, where the Ganga, Yamuna, and the invisible Saraswati meet, is considered the holiest site for Hindus. It is believed that taking a dip here during the Mahakumbh, especially on special bathing days like Mauni Amavasya, cleanses one of sins and grants salvation.
