Multiple casualties took place as a stampede broke out at the Sangam area of the Maha Kumbh early Wednesday as crores of pilgrims jostled for space to take a holy dip on the occasion of Mauni Amavasya
At least 30 people have lost their lives and 60 others have been injured in the stampede at the Maha Kumbh venue in Prayagraj,” said Vaibhav Krishna, DIG Mahakumbh. He added that the stampede took place between 1-2 a.m., when a huge crowd broke the barricades, which led to casualties.
Multiple casualties took place as a stampede broke out at the Sangam area of the Maha Kumbh early Wednesday as crores of pilgrims jostled for space to take a holy dip on the occasion of Mauni Amavasya.
While the Uttar Pradesh government has remained tight-lipped about the number of casualties, President Droupadi Murmu, Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and many Union Ministers, several Chief Ministers and Opposition leaders across parties offered their condolences to the victims and their families.
Meanwhile, ‘amrit snan’, the traditional bathing ritual of akharas that was deferred due to the stampede, resumed at 2.30 p.m. The procession, notably less grand than usual, was led by Mahant Ravindra Puri, head of the Akhil Bhartiya Akhara Parishad.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said some devotees were “seriously injured”. The incident took place between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m. when some devotees climbed over the barricades at Akhara marg, he said.
Security personnel and rescue workers were seen carrying many of the injured on stretchers. People’s belongings, including blankets and bags, lay strewn around.
Among the deceased, four are from Karnataka, one from Assam and one from Gujarat, the DIG said, adding that 36 people were being treated at a local medical college.
Uttar Pradesh government has announced financial assistance of Rs 25 lakh for the families of the deceased. UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has also ordered a judicial inquiry and said that a judicial committee will submit its report to the state government within a time limit.
“A three-member judicial commission will be headed by Justice Harsh Kumar, former DG VK Gupta and retired IAS DK Singh. We have been monitoring the entire incident from the CM’s, Chief Secretary and DGP’s control rooms throughout the day,” he said.
To monitor the situation of Maha Kumbh, Chief Minister Yogi has postponed his visit to Delhi for the election campaign tomorrow.
Reflecting on the incident, he said the accident happened due to heavy crowds and the breaking of barricades.
“The incident is heart-wrenching. We express our deepest condolences to all those families who lost their loved ones. We have been in constant touch with the administration since last night,” CM Yogi said.
Aam Aadmi Party leader Raghav Chaddha said that the UP government should review their preparations to avoid such incidents in the future.
“I pray to Mahadev that the souls of the deceased rest in peace. I hope the injured recover quickly. The government should review their preparations to make them better and avoid such incidents in the future,” Chaddha told reporters.
Asserting that the lack of arrangements must be rectified, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav said, “I will pray to god that the devotees who were deceased in the stampede, their souls rest in peace. I express my condolences to their family. Whatever is lacking in the arrangements (at Mahakumbh) should be rectified.”
Moreover, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren said, “If such an incident happens to any person, it is unfortunate. It is a matter of concern and also a matter of sadness…. Efforts should be made to ensure that such an incident does not happen in future.”
Union Minister Chirag Paswan also expressed grief over the demise of devotees in the Mahakumbh stampede and said, “I offer my and my party’s homage to all the deceased. I wish for the speedy recovery of all those who were injured… PM Narendra Modi is continuously monitoring the situation… Preparations are being made to prevent this incident in future, and appropriate action will be taken to find out what caused this incident.”
He said that actions will be taken against culprits. “I would like to tell those who are politicising this incident that this is not the time to be doing such things,” Paswan added.
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