NEW DELHI, JANUARY 29, 2025: Nearly 20 persons are feared dead and more than 100 sustained injuries following a stampede which broke out at Maha Kumbh Mela at Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh state following the breaking of a barrier at Triveni Sangham in the wee hours of Wednesday, the auspicious Mauni Amavaysa.
Following the auspicious Mauni Amavaysa, the pilgrims started arriving on Tuesday evening to have a holy dip in the Triveni Sangham. Despite authorities making elaborate arrangements for the Mauni Amavaysa, the pilgrims’ rush swelled to several crores.
This year, a rare celestial alignment called ‘Triveni Yog’ is occurring after 144 years, amplifying the spiritual significance of the day, and the devotees thronged in large numbers. Due to the huge congregation of devotees, the barricades were broken at the sector-2 region causing the stampede in which more than 20 people died and several were injured, the reports stated.
However, the Uttar Pradesh government had not officially confirmed the deaths and stated that several hundreds were injured in the stampede. Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to UP CM Yogi Adityanath and inquired about the situation. The UP CM had appealed to the people to take a holy dip all along the Triveni Sangham instead of visiting the main venue. He also informed people not to believe rumours and conducted review meetings with concerned officials.
On the other hand, the arrival of pilgrims is increasing every minute at the Kumbh Mela. The traffic was stranded for over 20 kilometres to the Prayagraj.
