Maha Kumbh: 30 dead and 60 injured in stampede, says DIG Vaibhav Krishna

Prayagraj: At least 30 people were killed and 60 were injured in the pre-dawn stampede on Wednesday at the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj here, a top police officer said.

Twenty-five bodies have been identified and the rest are yet to be identified, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Kumbh, Vaibhav Krishnathe, said in a press conference.

“A total of 30 people have died unfortunately in the stampede that took place at the Maha Kumbh at Prayagraj. Twenty-five bodies have been identified and rest five are yet to be identified,” he said.

Among the deceased, four are from Karnataka, one from Assam and one from Gujarat, the DIG said.

Further, he said that 36 people were being treated at a local medical college.

“36 people are currently being treated at the local medical college. Keeping in mind the convenience of the devotees, the CM Yogi Adityanath has requested all Mahamadaleshwar, saints and Akharas to take their holy dips with some delay. The Amrit Snan of the Akharas has been concluded safely…” he further added.

Giving details of the incident, the DIG said that the stampede occurred in the early hours of Wednesday morning when a huge crowd on the Akhara Marg broke the barricade to take a holy dip.

“Before Brahma Muhurta, between 1 am to 2 am, a huge crowd gathered on the Akhara Marg. Due to this crowd, the barricades on the other side broke and the crowd ran over the devotees waiting to take a holy dip on the other side. About 90 people were taken to the hospital through ambulances but unfortunately, 30 devotees have died…” he said.

Meanwhile, to monitor the situation of Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath has postponed his visit to Delhi for the election campaign tomorrow.

Earlier,Swami Chidanand Saraswati, the President of Parmarth Niketan Ashram expressed condolences over the stampede and called it an ‘unfortunate incident’ and stressed the importance of following the instructions of the administration for the safety.

In a conversation with ANI, Saraswati said, “Whatever happened was very unfortunate. The administration’s orders and messages should have been followed. People are coming in large numbers and taking a holy dip. I express my condolences to those who lost their lives.”