Police personnel keep vigil as part of safety precautions the day after a stampede at Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj on Thursday. PTI Photo
Kumbh Mela LIVE | UP chief secy, DGP at the spot for post-stampede review
Five special secretary-level officers are being assigned to oversee operations and they will remain in Prayagraj until Feb 12 to assist in streamlining the arrangements
Following the stampede at the Maha Kumbh on Wednesday, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath issued a slew of guidelines on crowd management, traffic flow, prevention of build-up of devotees and coordination among departments.
The administration has implemented five major changes, including declaring the entire fair area a No-Vehicle Zone. Besides, no special passes will allow vehicle entry, eliminating any exceptions.
The chief minister ordered the deployment of Ashish Goyal, who served as Divisional Commissioner of Prayagraj during Kumbh 2019, and Bhanu Goswami, a former Vice Chairman of ADA, to further strengthen the arrangements, according to an official statement.
Adityanath asked the chief secretary and the director general of police to conduct a thorough review of the Maha Kumbh Mela arrangements on Thursday. "Every aspect related to security and public convenience must be carefully examined to ensure seamless arrangements for Basant Panchami," he said.
He said the incumbent ADG and the District Magistrate of Prayagraj must ensure safe and smooth departure of every devotee.
Five Special Secretary-level officers are being assigned to oversee operations, according to the government statement.
It said they will remain in Prayagraj until February 12 to assist in streamlining the arrangements. Moreover, Superintendent of Police-level officers will also be deployed for enhanced management and security, the statement said.
At least 30 people were killed and 60 injured in a pre-dawn stampede at the Sangam area of the Maha Kumbh Wednesday as millions of pilgrims jostled for space to take a holy dip on the occasion of one of the most auspicious days of Mauni Amavasya.
In light of the tragedy, the chief minister conducted a late-night video conference with senior police officers and officials from multiple districts including Prayagraj, Kaushambi, Varanasi, Ayodhya, Mirzapur, Basti, Jaunpur, Chitrakoot, Banda, Ambedkarnagar, Pratapgarh, Sant Kabir Nagar, Bhadohi, Rae Bareli and Gorakhpur.
After reviewing updates from the ADG and the District Magistrate of Prayagraj, the CM emphasised the need for heightened vigilance and caution in the mela area, according to the official statement.
The incident comes days after a massive fire reduced at least 18 tents to ashes at the fair following a cylinder blast.
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Live Updates
- 29 Jan 2025 3:35 AM GMT
How the stampede happened?
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 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.
First-hand accounts
A man from Chhattarpur in Madhya Pradesh said his mother was injured and hospitalised, while a middle-aged married couple from Meghalaya walked away from the crowd, both of them sobbing and narrating to reporters their harrowing experience of getting caught up in the ruckus.
Another woman at the hospital, whose child suffered injuries in the chaos, narrated her ordeal, claiming, "There was nowhere to go. Some people who pushed us were laughing while we begged them for kindness towards the children."
The incident occurred around 2 pm on Wednesday, amid a sea of tightly-packed crowds converging at the Sangam and all other ghats created along a 12-km long range of river banks for the Maha Kumbh.
- 29 Jan 2025 3:34 AM GMT
PM Modi speaks to Adityanath over Maha Kumbh stampede situation
Prime Minister Narendra Modi reviewed the situation at the Maha Kumbh in a call with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath following a stampede-like incident 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.
Multiple casualties were feared after a stampede-like situation broke out at Sangam in the early hours of Wednesday (January 29) amid the ongoing Maha Kumbh, as millions of pilgrims turned up for a holy bath on Mauni Amavasya, officials said.
In view of the incident, the Akharas called off their traditional “Amrit Snan” for Mauni Amavasya, even as devotees in large numbers continued to take a dip at Sangam and other ghats in the Mela area.
- 29 Jan 2025 2:30 AM GMT
Take dip at nearest ghat, avoid Sangam: UP CM urges devotees
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has appealed to the devotees to take a dip at their nearest ghat and not try to go towards Sangam Nose, follow the instructions of the administration and cooperate with them. He has also asked to not pay attention to any rumours.
- 29 Jan 2025 2:29 AM GMT
Take dip at nearest ghat, avoid Sangam: UP CM urges devotees
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has appealed to the devotees to take a dip at their nearest ghat and not try to go towards Sangam Nose, follow the instructions of the administration and cooperate with them. He has also asked to not pay attention to any rumours.
- 29 Jan 2025 2:27 AM GMT
Rules in place
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".
- 29 Jan 2025 2:27 AM GMT
Why devotees flock to Triveni Sangam?
The Amrit Snan on Mauni Amavasya is the most significant ritual of the Maha Kumbh and is expected to draw around 10 crore pilgrims.
This year, a rare celestial alignment called 'Triveni Yog' is occurring after 144 years, amplifying the spiritual significance of the day.
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.
- 29 Jan 2025 2:08 AM GMT
Akharas call off Mauni Amavasya 'Amrit Snan'
Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad president Mahant Ravindra Puri on Wednesday said that due to the stampede-like situation at Maha Kumbh, the seers have called off their Mauni Amavasya's Amrit Snan.
A stampede-like situation broke out at Sangam earlier on Wednesday at the Sangam, where several people, including women and children, suffered injuries.
"You would've seen what happened in the morning, and that's why we have decided to... All of our saints and seers were ready for the 'snan' when we were informed about this incident. That's why we have decided to call off our 'snan' on 'Mauni Amavasya'," Mahant Ravindra Puri told PTI.
As per tradition of the Kumbh Mela, Akharas belonging to the three sects 'Sanyasi, Bairagi, and Udaseen' take the holy dip in a set sequence following a majestic, awe-inspiring procession to the Sangam Ghat.
The seers and saints, including the ash-smeared Nagas, then immerse themselves in the sacred confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and mythical Saraswati rivers on special bathing dates like the Mauni Amavasya, which are marked by special celestial alignments and considered holy among Hindus.
On Tuesday, a day before the Mauni Amavasya, nearly 5 crore people reached for the dip during the fair, according to estimates of the Uttar Pradesh government, which expects the crowd to be around 10 crore on Wednesday.
