Stampede At Maha Kumbh Mela Kills And Injures Dozens Of Devotees
India-West News Desk
PRAYAGRAJ- At least 30 people were killed and dozens more injured in a stampede at the Maha Kumbh Mela in here on January 29. The incident occurred as millions of Hindu pilgrims gathered to take a holy dip at the confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers.
Police confirmed that 90 people were hospitalized, with 30 fatalities. Local officials reported a slightly higher number saying that nearly 40 bodies were brought to the morgue.
Witnesses described a chaotic scene as scores of devotees surged toward the water jostling for space at the Sangam area to take a holy dip on the occasion of Mauni Amavasya.
Rescue operations are being carried out by police and medical teams, with security measures being reviewed to prevent further incidents. The site was a picture of tragedy with people’s belongings, including blankets and bags, lying around.
The political fallout was immediate. While Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences to the victims’ families, the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath cited crowd mismanagement as a contributing factor and opposition parties criticized the government’s handling of the event, calling for better arrangements.
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Amrit Lall
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A stampede to escape a fire is understandable. A stampede to take a bath in the river is not. There is no urgency in the latter. Crowd control is primarily in the hands of the crowd and secondarily in the hands of the police. How can a few dozen or a few hundred police suddenly control a stampede of a hundred thousand people?
January 29, 2025Besides crowd management by the police, the people have to be educated on how to behave in a crowd.