Mahakumbh stampede: 10 people reportedly killed, several injured
There has been no official confirmation of the exact number of deaths in the incident so far.
Mahakumbh stampede: At least 10 people reportedly died in the “stampede-like situation” at Mahakumbh Mela. There has been no official confirmation of the exact number of deaths in the incident so far.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi confirmed that there were fatalities at the Mahakumbh Mela in Prayagraj on Wednesday, January 29, following a stampede during the holy dip for Mauni Amavasya. He did not, however, mention the total number of casualties.
PM Modi said in a post on X that the stampede incident at Mahakumbh Mela early Wednesday was “extremely sad.”
He extended “deepest condolences to the devotees who have lost their loved ones” in the incident. The Prime Minister also wished for the speedy recovery of all those 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
Lakhs of seers and devotees gathered at Mahakumbh, the world’s largest religious gathering, early Wednesday to take holy dip (‘Amrit Snan’) in Sangam river on the auspicious occasion of Mauni Amavasya.
The Amrit Snan on Mauni Amavasya is the most significant ritual of the Mahakumbh and is expected to draw around 10 crore pilgrims. This year, a rare celestial alignment called ‘Triveni Yog’ is occurring after 144 years, amplifying the spiritual significance of the day.
However, the situation took a tragic turn when “suddenly there was pushing in the crowd and we got trapped. A lot of us fell down and the crowd went uncontrolled,” Sarojini from Karnataka told PTI Videos. “There was no chance for escape, there was pushing from all sides,” she added.
Around 2 am on Wednesday, the blaring sirens of ambulances and police vehicles rushing to the Sangam pierced through the continuous chants of mantras and shlokas echoing from loudspeakers across the Kumbh Mela area.
Those injured were taken to the central hospital established in the Mela area. Relatives of many injured also reached there, as did some senior administrative and police officials.
