Prayagraj:

Piles of clothes, shoes, bags and other discarded belongings were seen on the ground after a stampede broke out at Prayagraj’s Maha Kumbh, the world’s largest religious gathering, this morning.

Several people were feared dead and more than 30 others were injured in the crush that took place around 1 am when millions of devotees gathered near Sangam – the point where the Ganga, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati rivers meet – to take traditional ‘Amrit Snan’ or holy dip on ‘Mauni Amavasya’, one of the holiest days of the six-week event.

Visuals showed devotees’ belongings like clothes, blankets and backpacks strewn around the scene of the stampede. Many people were seen stepping over those belongings while trying to escape the crush.

Photo Credit: PTI

Photo Credit: PTI

Some people were also seen climbing barriers and rushing through pontoons after the stampede.

Photo Credit: PTI

Photo Credit: PTI

There is so far no official confirmation of the number of deaths or injuries.

How Stampede At Maha Kumbh Mela Occurred

The stampede occurred between 1 am and 2 am when some devotees climbed over the barricades at Akhara Marg, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said.

“Between 1 am to 2 am, at the akhara route where arrangements were made for the Amrit Snan of the akharas, some devotees crossed over the barricades and were critically injured. They were immediately rushed to hospital where treatment was promptly ensured,” he said after holding a high-level meeting in the state capital, Lucknow.

Photo Credit: PTI

He said the situation in Prayagraj is “under control” but the “crowd pressure is still there”.

Mr Adityanath also appealed to people to take a dip in the Ganga at their nearest ghats and not try to reach the Sangam Nose.

He also said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Union Health Minister JP Nadda had called him up since morning to take stock of the situation.

PM Modi On Maha Kumbh Stampede

Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered his deepest condolences to the devotees who lost their family members in the stampede at the Maha Kumbh and described the tragedy as “extremely saddening”.

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.

“I have been speaking to Chief Minister Yogi ji and am in constant touch with the state government,” he said.

प्रयागराज महाकुंभ में हुआ हादसा अत्यंत दुखद है। इसमें जिन श्रद्धालुओं ने अपने परिजनों को खोया है, उनके प्रति मेरी गहरी संवेदनाएं। इसके साथ ही मैं सभी घायलों के शीघ्र स्वस्थ होने की कामना करता हूं। स्थानीय प्रशासन पीड़ितों की हरसंभव मदद में जुटा हुआ है। इस सिलसिले में मैंने…

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 29, 2025

Dubbed the world’s largest spiritual gathering, the Maha Kumbh is being held after 12 years and kicked off in Prayagraj on January 13. It will continue till February 26.

Photo Credit: ANI

The Sangam 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.

Nearly 20 crore pilgrims have so far taken a dip and officials expect a total footfall of around 40 crore devotees.

Authorities implemented stringent security measures, managing massive crowds with AI-powered surveillance, drone monitoring, and increased police presence. While the Mela area has already been declared a no-vehicle zone for the next few days, the Prayagraj administration has also made an appeal to local residents to avoid using four wheelers and opt for two wheelers only if carrying senior citizens to the Sangam.

The railways is running 360 trains, including 190 special trains, to accommodate the unprecedented influx of pilgrims. “The special trains are being run in three zones — Northern Railway, North Eastern Railway and North Central Railway — to manage the massive influx of devotees,” Satish Kumar, Chairman and CEO of the Railway Board said.

The Uttar Pradesh government has deployed more than 1,000 medical professionals in the Maha Kumbh area, apart from provisions for minor to major surgeries in every sector of the fair area, an official statement said. Additionally, 300 specialist doctors are stationed at a super-specialty hospital in the Mahakumbh Nagar to handle any emergency situations.

Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh:

Millions of devotees took a holy dip at the Triveni Sangam on Tuesday morning, marking the first ‘Amrit Snan’ (bath) of the Maha Kumbh 2025. Many foreign devotees also immersed themselves in the sacred tradition and sang ‘bhajans’. 

Held once every 12 years, people attend Maha Kumbh to take a dip in the sacred waters, believed to wash away sins and purify the soul.

Maha Kumbh, dubbed the largest gathering of humanity in the world, is expected to bring more than 40 crore people to Prayagraj, which is more than the population of the US and Russia. The event has been set up at around 4,000 hectares and will continue till February 26. Massive security arrangements have also been made across the city, including AI cameras and underwater drones.

Here are the live updates on Maha Kumbh 2025: