
LUCKNOW: At least 30 people tragically lost their lives and nearly 60 others were injured in a devastating stampede at the Mahakumbh Mela early Wednesday morning. In response, a judicial inquiry has been initiated, with a three-member committee led by former judge Harsh Kumar assigned to investigate the incident. Additionally, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has announced a financial compensation of Rs 25 lakh for the families of the victims.
A pre-dawn tragedy took place at the Sangam on Mela premises as large crowd of devotees surged and started moving towards the Sangam Nose at Triveni to take a holy dip during the second Amrit Snan on the occasion of Mauni Amavasya, considered to be one of the most auspicious days for bathing during the mela.
According to Mela Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Vaibhav Krishna, the stampede left 30 dead and 60 others injured. “Of those 30 who lost their life, 25 have been identified. However, rest five have yet to be identified,” said the DIG adding that the deceased were from different corners of the country. “Four of the deceased are from Karnataka and one each from Assam and Gujarat,” he added.
"The incident took place between 1 am and 2 am due to the pressure of crowd. The crowds broke barricades and jumped to the other side, crushing those waiting there. Over 90 injured were rushed to the hospital, out of whom 30 died," he said.
The DIG added that 24 injured persons were discharged after the treatment, rest 36 were still recovering at the hospital.
While sharing further details, DIG Krishna said that barricades were placed in the mela and akhara areas for lane management but they could not sustain the pressure of the crowd jostling through.
“As the barricades broke, devotees fell on those who were sitting, lying and waiting to take the holy dip during the 'brahm muhurt' (early morning time considered auspicious to perform certain activities),” he stated.
Many, including women and children, fell and were crushed.
He also shared the helpline number -- 1920 -- for tracing missing persons. The officer highlighted the point that owing to strict orders by the state authorities, there will be no VIP protocol in the mela now onwards. "We will not be entertaining VIP protocol for the coming 'snans'," said the DIG clarifying that even on Wednesday there was no VIP protocol. Some Opposition parties had attributed the mishap to the VIP culture being pursued by senior officials. Mela Adhikari Vijay Kiran Anand said the administration's priority was to ensure the safe return of those who had come for a holy dip in Sangam.
However, the members of Akhara gathered in small numbers at Triveni Sangam in the afternoon to take an 'Amrit Snan' on the occasion of 'Mauni Amavasya'.
The committee entrusted with carrying out a judicial probe to ascertain the reasons for the stampede will comprise former High Court judge VK Gupta and retired IAS officer BK Singh. The inquiry will delve into the root cause of the incident, while the police will conduct a separate parallel investigation to determine how and why the tragedy occurred.
Meanwhile, the Chief Secretary and DGP are scheduled to visit the site on Thursday to assess the situation and oversee the inquiry proceedings. Initially, the Uttar Pradesh government remained tight-lipped on the number of casualties, however, Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered his deepest condolences to the devotees who lost their family members in the stampede, describing the tragedy as extremely saddening through a post on X.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah called up Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to take stock of the situation.
As per the local sources and eyewitnesses accounts, 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 in the stampede were taken to the central hospital established in the Mela area. Relatives of many injured rushed to the hospital, 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.
The opposition hit out at the Centre over the stampede, with Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav saying that those responsible for making tall claims about the “world-class system” at the event should take moral responsibility for the tragedy and step down from their positions. He also suggested to handover the Mela arrangements to the Army in order to avert any recurrence of such a tragedy.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge blamed “half-baked” arrangements and “paying more attention to self-promotion” while TMC termed it as a man-made tragedy holding the ruling BJP responsible for it. Even Aam Admi Arty also blamed the BJP for the stampede.
Major stampede incidents at the Kumbh Mela over the years:
1954: The Kumbh Mela in Allahabad (now Prayagraj) saw a devastating stampede on February 3. Around 800 people were either trampled to death or drowned while attempting to take a holy dip during Mauni Amavasya.
1986: In Haridwar, a stampede killed at least 200 people. The chaos erupted when security measures restricted access to the riverbanks, causing the crowd to panic and leading to a deadly crush of people.
2003: A stampede at the Kumbh Mela in Nashik, Maharashtra, claimed the lives of at least 39 people and injured over 100 others. The tragedy occurred when thousands of pilgrims gathered at the Godavari River for a sacred bath.
2013: At the Allahabad railway station, a footbridge collapse triggered panic during the Kumbh Mela. The disaster resulted in 42 deaths and left 45 others injured.
2025: The latest stampede occurred in the early hours of Wednesday at the Mahakumbh in Prayagraj during ‘Mauni Amavasya’. At least 30 people were killed and 60 others injured in the incident.