Deadly crowd incidents are frequent occurrence at Indian religious festivals, including the Kumbh Mela, which attracts tens of millions of devotees every 12 years to the northern city of Prayagraj.
As pilgrims rushed to participate in a sacred day of ritual bathing, people sleeping and sitting on the ground near the rivers told AFP they were trampled by huge swells of devotees coming towards them in the darkness.
“I was sitting near a barricade, and during the pushing and shoving, the entire crowd fell on top of me, trampling me as it moved forward,” Pilgrim Renu Devi, 48, told AFP.
“When the crowd surged, elderly people and women were crushed, and no one came forward to help.”
Rescue teams carrying victims from the accident site weaved through piles of clothes, shoes and other discarded belongings.
Police were seen carrying stretchers bearing the bodies of victims draped with thick blankets.
“At least 15 people” were killed with dozens more injured, a doctor at a hospital tending to survivors told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to talk to media.
Authorities have yet to officially confirm the number of dead in the stampede, which took place around 1am (12:30am PKT).
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the accident was “extremely sad” and offered his “deepest condolences” to relatives of those killed.
“I wish for the speedy recovery of all injured,” he added.
Dozens of relatives were anxiously waiting for news outside a large tent serving as a purpose-built hospital for the festival around one kilometre from the disaster site.
‘Please cooperate’
The six-week Kumbh Mela is the single biggest milestone on the Hindu religious calendar.
Wednesday marks one of the holiest days in the festival, when saffron-clad holy men lead millions in a sin-cleansing ritual of bathing at the confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers.
Instead, officials were strolling the festival with loudhailers pleading with pilgrims to keep away from the disaster site and bathe at other locations.
“We humbly request all devotees do not come to the main bathing spot,” said one festival staffer, his voice crackling through his megaphone. “Please cooperate with security personnel.”
The Uttar Pradesh state government, responsible for staging the festival, said millions had already bathed in the waterways between midnight and the early morning.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath told reporters that medical workers were treating those seriously injured in the crush, adding that the situation was “under control”.
Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi blamed the disaster on poor crowd management that prioritised the comfort of prominent pilgrims.
“Mismanagement and the administration’s special focus on VIP movement instead of common devotees are responsible for this tragic incident,” he wrote on social media.
Railway official Manish Kumar said numerous special train services scheduled to transport pilgrims had been halted due to massive crowding at Prayagraj. Some devotees decided to make an early exit from the city.
“I heard the news and saw the bathing site,” attendee Sanjay Nishad told AFP. “My family got scared, so we’re leaving.”
The Kumbh Mela is rooted in Hindu mythology, a battle between deities and demons for control of a pitcher containing the nectar of immortality.
Organisers have likened the scale of this year’s festival to that of a temporary country, forecasting up to 400 million pilgrims would visit before the final day on February 26.
Mindful of the risk of deadly crowd accidents, police this year installed hundreds of cameras at the festival site and on roads leading to the sprawling encampment, mounted on poles and a fleet of overhead drones.
The surveillance network is fed into a sophisticated command and control centre that is meant to alert staff if sections of the crowd get so concentrated that they pose a safety threat.
More than 400 people died after they were trampled or drowned at the Kumbh Mela on a single day of the festival in 1954, one of the largest tolls in a crowd-related disaster globally.
Another 36 people were crushed to death in 2013, the last time the festival was staged in the northern city of Prayagraj.
Multiple casualties were feared after a "stampede-like" situation broke out at the Sangam on Wednesday amid the ongoing Maha Kumbh, as millions of pilgrims turned up for a holy bath on Mauni Amavasya, officials said.
Amrit snan, the traditional bathing ritual of akharas that was deferred due to the stampede at Maha Kumbh, was later resumed.
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".
Led by Mahant Ravindra Puri, head of the Akhil Bhartiya Akhara Parishad, the procession of akharas made its way on foot towards the Sangam for the snan. The procession, notably less grand than usual, began around 2:30 pm.
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 was tight-lipped on the number of casualties, Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered his deepest condolences to the devotees who lost their family members in the stampede at the Maha Kumbh, describing the tragedy as extremely saddening. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said some devotees were "seriously injured". In a post on X, he said the local administration in Prayagraj is giving all possible help to the victims and wished a speedy recovery to the injured.
In the wake of the stampede at Maha Kumbh on Wednesday, several Akharas have decided to call off the 'Amrit Snan' of Mauni Amavasya and extend full cooperation to the administration to restore order. The tragic incident unfolded early Wednesday as millions of devotees thronged the Triveni Sangam for the sacred holy dip. A sudden rush led to the collapse of barricades, triggering chaos and panic. Following the incident, Nirmohi Akhara and Akhil Bhartiya Shri Panch Digambar Ani Akhara announced their decision to refrain from participating in the Amrit Snan, citing the need to prevent further disorder and ensure safety. This followed Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad president Mahant Ravindra Puri's announcement to call the 'Amrit Snan' following the tragic accident. "We stand with the administration in this difficult time and urge devotees to complete their snan peacefully and return home. No one is to be blamed at this moment. The matter is under investigation, and while some suspect a conspiracy, our priority is to support the authorities in managing the situation," he added. Akhil Bhartiya Shri Panch Digambar Ani Akhara chief Vaishnav Das Maharaj echoed similar sentiments, describing the incident as unfortunate. "Who is responsible for this, and where the lapse occurred, is for the government and administration to determine. From a spiritual perspective, we see this as a consequence of actions against nature. This is a natural disaster," he said. Emphasising the gravity of the situation, he added, "In such circumstances, how can we proceed with the holy dip? That is why the Akharas have decided to call off the snan. No one will oppose this, and no one will take a bath. The administration has nothing to do with this decision; only one official had come to inform us." Taking a veiled dig at the frequent VIP visits, he remarked, "Repeated VIP visits led to special arrangements for them, but similar arrangements were not made for the common people. Perhaps this is what led to such an unfortunate situation. However, the administration is now working to bring things under control."
Chief Minister Yogi Adiyanath on Wednesday said the situation in Maha Kumbh was now under control and some devotees have been critically injured in the stampede. He also urged the people not to pay attention to the rumours. He said that around 8-10 crore devotees are present in Prayagraj and there is continuous pressure due to the movement of devotees towards the Sangam Nose. He said that around three crore people have taken a holy dip as of 8.30 a.m. The CM said this while speaking to the media in Lucknow even as the high-level meeting of top officials at his residence was ongoing. He expressed grief over the stampede-like situation in the Maha Kumbh Mela and said all assistance was being provided and the Maha Kumbh administration was alert.
Expressing grave concern on news of casualties in Mahakumbh, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said “The news of casualties of devotees in an accident caused by mismanagement in Maha Kumbh is extremely sad. We appeal to our government that the seriously injured should be taken to the nearest best hospitals with the help of air ambulance and immediate medical treatment should be provided. Arrangements should be made to identify the bodies of the deceased and hand them over to their relatives and send them to their place of residence. Urgent efforts should be made to reunite those who have been separated. Surveillance should be increased by making good use of helicopters. Keeping the unbroken tradition of 'Royal Bath' going on since the Satya Yuga, arrangements should be made to conduct the 'Royal Bath of Mauni Amavasya' amidst safe management parallel to relief work.” Yadav also appealed to the devotees to exercise restraint and patience in this difficult time and complete their pilgrimage peacefully. “The government should learn a lesson from today's incident and make additional arrangements for the stay, accommodation, food, water and other facilities of the devotees,” he said. BSP chief Mayawati also said the news of devotees losing lives and getting injured in the stampede at the Maha Kumbh at the Sangam site in Prayagraj is extremely sad and worrisome.
The Congress on Wednesday hit out at the Centre and the Uttar Pradesh government over the "stampede-like" situation at the Sangam, demanding that the Maha Kumbh management be handed over to a better administrator than Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and the movement of VVIPs there be stopped.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said that the news of "many people losing their lives" and many people getting injured due to the stampede on the banks of the Tirthraj Sangam during the Maha Kumbh is extremely heartbreaking. "Our deepest condolences to the families of the devotees and we wish for the speedy recovery of the injured," he said.
The Uttar Pradesh government expected 10 crore pilgrims to the Maha Kumbh in just one day and had stepped up security in preparation for the 'Amrit Snan'. The incident occurred as millions of devotees gathered for the holy dip, prompting the Akharas to temporarily postpone the event. The chaos ensued about a kilometre from the sacred confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati rivers, when barricades broke, causing panic among the
CM Yogi urged devotees to bathe at the ghat closest to them. He appealed to them not to go towards the Triveni Sangam for the holy dip on Mauni Amavasya. The crowd Diversion Plan was implemented at Maha Kumbh and the entry of devotees was halted. Groups of devotees were stopped on the outskirts of the city. According to officials, a large number of pilgrims turned up for a holy bath on the occasion of Mauni Amavasya, which led to a stampede-like situation and injured many. At least 30 women are reportedly injured and are undergoing treatment at the central hospital established in the Mela area.
Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda spoke with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath about the stampede-like situation at the ongoing Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj on Wednesday and assured full support, including volunteers and health services, to manage the situation effectively. Union Home Minister Amit Shah also spoke with the Chief Minister, assuring him full support from the Centre.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi reviewed the situation in a call with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and called for immediate support measures, according to officials.
