30 dead, 60 injured in Maha Kumbh stampede Yogi announces judicial probe; Oppn hits out at Centre, UP govt over ‘VIP culture’

PTI, MAHAKUMBH NAGAR, JAN 29, 2025 : At least 30 people were killed and 60 injured in a pre-dawn stampede at the Sangam area of the MahaKumbh early Wednesday as millions of pilgrims jostled for space to take a holy dip on the occasion of one of the most auspicious days of Mauni Amavasya. Several hours after the incident took place between 1-2 am, MahaKumbh DIG Vaibhav Krishna gave the details of the casualties at a press conference here in the evening. "The incident took place due to the pressure of the crowd. The crowd broke barricades and jumped to the other side, crushing those waiting there. Over 90 injured were rushed to the hospital, of whom 30 died," he said. The officer said 25 of the deceased have been identified. Four of them are from Karnataka and one each from Assam and Gujarat. Among those injured, 36 are undergoing treatment at the hospital and the rest have been sent with their families.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered his condolences to the devotees who lost their family members in the stampede, describing the tragedy as "extremely saddening." Later in the night, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced a three-member judicial commission, comprising Justice Harsh Kumar, former DG VK Gupta, and retired IAS VK Singh, to look into the reasons behind the stampede. He also announced an ex gratia of Rs 25 lakh each for the kin of the deceased. "It is important to get to the bottom of the whole episode on how such a tragedy occurred," a visibly emotional Adityanath said, adding that the chief secretary and DGP would visit the MahaKumbh on Thursday for an in-depth probe into the tragic incident.

DIG Krishna said barricades have been placed in the mela and akhara areas for lane management but they gave way under the pressure of the jostling. As the barricades broke, people fell on those sitting and waiting for taking the holy dip during the 'brahm muhurt' (early morning time considered auspicious to perform certain activities), he said. Many ordinary people, including women and children, fell down and were crushed. The officer said the government has issued strict directives that there will be no VIP protocol in the mela now onwards.

According to eyewitness accounts, one of the reasons for the tragedy was the sudden surge of pilgrims at the Sangam - all driven by an obvious desire to take the holy dip at 3 am, the start of the auspicious hour. After the stampede, Amritsnan, the traditional bathing ritual of akharas, was deferred but it resumed in the afternoon. The bathing for devotees, however, continued at the tightly-packed Sangam and other ghats along the Ganges, which were less crowded. Nearly six crore devotees took a dip Wednesday.

Around 2 am, 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 set up in the Mela area. Relatives of many injured also reached there, as did some senior administrative and police officials. 

Security personnel and rescue workers were seen carrying many of the injured on stretchers. People's belongings, including blankets and bags, lay strewn around. Sarojini, a devotee from Karnataka, said: "We came in a batch of 60 people in two buses, we were nine people in the group. Suddenly there was pushing in the crowd, and we got trapped. A lot of us fell down and the crowd went uncontrolled." Another woman at the hospital, whose child suffered injuries in the chaos, narrated her ordeal, claiming: "There was nowhere to go. Some people who pushed us were laughing while we begged them for kindness towards the children."

In a post on X around noon, Modi said the local administration in Prayagraj is giving all possible help to the victims and wished a speedy recovery to the injured. Adityanath said the incident took place between 1 am and 2 am when some devotees climbed over the barricades at Akhara marg. "Between 1 am to 2 am, at the akhara route where arrangements were made for the Amrit Snan of the akharas, some devotees crossed over the barricades and were critically injured. They were immediately rushed to hospital where treatment was promptly ensured," he said after a high-level meeting in Lucknow.

On the Amrit Snan by akharas deferred till afternoon, Adityanath said a consensus was reached with the akharas that they would take the holy dip only after the crowd pressure has decreased at the ghats. "Our first priority is to ensure safety of devotees," he said, adding "the situation in Prayagraj is under control but the crowd pressure is still there." The Chief Minister said around 9-10 crore people are in Prayagraj and appealed to devotees to take a dip in the Ganga at their nearest ghats and not try to reach the Sangam to avoid overcrowding.

Around 2:30 pm, the procession of akharas resumed as it made its way on foot towards the Sangam for the snan. Helicopters showered flower petals on seers as they headed towards the Sangam.

The Opposition hit out at the Centre and the Uttar Pradesh government over the stampede, with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi saying that mismanagement and administration's special focus on VIP movement were responsible for the tragic incident. Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav demanded that the management of the world's largest religious event should be immediately handed over to the Army. The Shiv Sena (UBT) sought to know who was responsible for the stampede and claimed that closure of certain parts of the riverbank for visits by ministers leads to such situations.

According to tradition, Akharas belonging to the three sects 'Sanyasi, Bairagi, and Udaseen' take the holy dip in a set sequence following a majestic, awe-inspiring procession to the Sangam Ghat. The Triveni Sangam -- confluence of Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati -- is considered the holiest by Hindus, with a belief that taking a dip in it during MahaKumbh and particularly on special bathing dates like Mauni Amavasya washes away people's sins and provides them 'moksha' or salvation.

On Tuesday, in view of the anticipated influx of pilgrims, the Mela authorities issued an advisory urging devotees to follow crowd-management guidelines for safety and convenience. Pilgrims were asked to use designated lanes to reach Sangam Ghat, stay in their lanes while approaching the bathing area, and avoid lingering at ghats after the holy dip. They were urged to proceed promptly to parking areas or their destinations to ensure smooth movement.