Multiple casualties were feared after a 'stampede-like' situation broke out at the Sangam on Wednesday amid the ongoing Maha Kumbh, as a large number of pilgrims turned up for a holy bath on Mauni Amavasya, officials said.
Officer on Special Duty for the Mela Akanksha Rana said, "Some people have got injured and have been hospitalised after a barrier broke at the Sangam. We are yet to have the exact count of those injured."
The Amrit Snan on Mauni Amavasya is the most significant ritual of the Maha Kumbh and is expected to draw around 10 crore pilgrims. In view of the incident, the Akharas called off the 'Amrit Snan', even as devotees in large numbers continued to take a dip at Sangam and other ghats in the Mela area.
#InPics | Bags and other belongings lay scattered at the scene after a stampede occurred at Sangam on 'Mauni Amavasya' during the ongoing 'Maha Kumbh Mela' festival, in Prayagraj.#MahaKumbh2025 #MahakumbhStampede pic.twitter.com/AmPLk8pUtl
January 29, 2025This year, a rare celestial alignment called 'Triveni Yog' is occurring after 144 years, amplifying the spiritual significance of the day.
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.
"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,' Sarojini from Karnataka said, weeping outside the hospital.
"There was no chance for escape, there was pushing from all sides," the woman told PTI Videos.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Wednesday, amid a sea of crowds converging at the Sangam and all other ghats created along a 12-km long range of river banks for the Maha Kumbh.
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 Maha Kumbh 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 have been 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 have been urged to proceed promptly to parking areas or their destinations to ensure smooth movement.
Visitors were reminded to remain patient at barricades and pontoon bridges, avoiding rushing or jostling to prevent accidents. The administration emphasised that "all ghats at Sangam are equally sacred', encouraging devotees to 'bathe at the first ghat they reach to prevent overcrowding".
Prime Minister Narendra Modi reviewed the situation at the Maha Kumbh in a call with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and called for immediate support measures. Modi is continuously monitoring the situation and has spoken to Adityanath twice so far, official sources said.
"PM Modi spoke to Yogi Ji about the situation at the Kumbh Mela, reviewed the developments, and called for immediate support measures," an official said.
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