Maha Kumbh stampede: How tragedy struck world's largest religious congregation in Prayagraj

Rescue operations underway after a "stampede-like" situation broke out on Mauni Amavasya during the ongoing Mahakumbh Mela at Sangam in Prayagraj on Wednesday. (PTI Photo)

At least 30 people were killed and over 60 injured in a stampede not too far away from the Sangam amid the ongoing Maha Kumbh in UP's Prayagraj Wednesday morning. The incident occurred as crores of people converged at the holy ghats for a dip in the Triveni Sangam on the occasion of Mauni Amavasya.

The scale of the congregation can be gauged by the fact that as many as 22 crore people have so far taken a holy dip at Sangam as part of the Maha Kumbh that began on January 13 and shall conclude on February 26. As many as 7 crore people are estimated to have taken a dip on Tuesday alone.

Maha Kumbh stampede death count

The stampede occurred in the Kumbh area when devotees surged towards the Triveni Sangam -- the point where the Ganga, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati rivers meet -- at around 2 am, unaware that many people had been sleeping there overnight to secure a prime spot for the Mahurat snan, scheduled for 3 am.

#WATCH | Prayagraj, UP: DIG Mahakumbh, Vaibhav Krishna says "Before Brahma Muhurta, between 1 am to 2 am, a huge crowd gathered on the Akhara Marg. Due to this crowd, the barricades on the other side broke and the crowd ran over the devotees waiting to take a holy dip of Brahma pic.twitter.com/ZL6KlmMf9k
ANI (@ANI) January 29, 2025

Eyewitnesses said the sudden rush led to panic, with barricades being broken near pillar number 157. "It all happened in moments. Whoever fell down could not get up," said Rekha Devi from Bihar. "People were running, but some got trampled. It was terrifying."

What has the official response been?

According to UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the incident occurred in the wee hours on Wednesday as a large crowd of devotees tried to cross barricades and sustained injuries. "The incident happened between 1am and 2am. There were barricades that devotees tried to cross and got injured. Our entire administration is present at the scene. Some people have been seriously injured while trying to cross the barricades," the CM said this morning.

, , , , ... pic.twitter.com/r3qAkveJozYogi Adityanath (@myogiadityanath) January 29, 2025

Later in the evening, the UP Police addressed a press conference and confirmed the death toll at 30 so far. "Before Brahma Muhurta, between 1 am to 2 am, a huge crowd gathered on the Akhara Marg. Due to this crowd, the barricades on the other side broke and the crowd ran over the devotees waiting to take a holy dip of Brahma Muhurta on the other side," DIG Mahakumbh, Vaibhav Krishna said.

As per the official, about 90 people were taken to the hospital through ambulances of which 30 devotees died. "Out of these 30, 25 have been identified and the rest are yet to be identified. These include 4 people from Karnataka, 1 from Assam, 1 from Gujarat...36 people are being treated at the local medical college," he added.

As per officials, the situation is currently normal. "Keeping in mind the convenience of the devotees, CM Yogi Adityanath has requested all the Mahamandaleshwar, Saints, Akharas to take a holy dip with some delay...Amrit Snan of the Akharas have been concluded safely," said Krishna.

Rescue operations launched

Authorities were swift to launch rescue operations, rushing the injured to hospitals. To prevent further incidents, security measures were heightened, and devotees were urged to use alternative ghats for bathing.

The administration also urged devotees not to fall for rumours and advised them to take a dip in any Ghat and not rush towards the Triveni Ghat.

Meanwhile, SSP Kumbh Mela Rajesh Dwivedi denied reports of a stampede and said some devotees sustained injuries due to overcrowding. "There was no stampede. It was just overcrowding due to which some devotees got injured. The situation is completely under control.

"No kind of rumours must be paid heed to... Amrit Snan will soon begin... All preparations for Amrit Snan have been made... Many ghats have been developed and people are easily taking a dip in those ghats... I don't have numbers on casualties or injuries," he told news agency ANI.

PM Modi, President Murmu express grief

Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to his X handle and expressed grief over the incident. "The accident that happened in Prayagraj Maha Kumbh is extremely sad. My deepest condolences to the devotees who have lost their loved ones in this. Along with this, I wish for the speedy recovery of all the injured. The local administration is engaged in helping the victims in every possible way. In this regard, I have spoken to Chief Minister Yogi ji and I am constantly in touch with the state government," the Prime Minister's post read.

, Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 29, 2025

President Droupadi Murmu also expressed sorrow at the stampede incident at the Maha Kumbh. "The stampede incident at Prayagraj Maha Kumbh is extremely sad. I express my condolences to the families of the injured devotees and pray to God that all the injured devotees recover soon," she wrote on X.

-President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) January 29, 2025

The incident led to Akharas initially calling off their traditional 'Amrit Snan', a ritual they have carried out on the occasion of Mauni Amavasya. However, the Akharas later proceeded for the Amrit Snan amid tight security as the situation normalised.

The Sangam is considered the holiest by Hindus, with a belief that taking a dip in it during Maha Kumbh and particularly on special bathing dates like Mauni Amavasya washes away people's sins and provides them 'moksha' or salvation.