Overcrowding turns fatal: Maha Kumbh stampede kills 30, injures 60 in Uttar Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh: A catastrophic stampede at the Sangam area of the Maha Kumbh early Wednesday resulted in 30 fatalities and left 60 others injured. The tragic incident occurred as millions of devotees surged forward to take the sacred Amrit Snan on Mauni Amavasya, one of Hinduism’s holiest occasions. The crowd had been building up since 7:35 PM on Tuesday, leading to extreme congestion by 2 AM.

Unmanageable crowd overwhelms authorities

Everything was proceeding smoothly until around 2 AM when the Sangam nose—already packed with pilgrims—became critically overcrowded. The sheer volume of devotees left no space for those who had completed their ritual to exit. At the peak of religious enthusiasm between 2 AM and 2:30 AM, the swelling crowd became unmanageable, triggering the deadly stampede.

Ambulances rushed to the scene, transporting the injured and deceased to the Central Hospital at Mahakumbh Nagar. The authorities struggled to control the chaos as panic spread among the pilgrims.

Eyewitness accounts describe the tragic scene

According to witnesses, the disaster was triggered by an overwhelming surge of devotees eager to take their holy dip at precisely 3 AM, the start of the most auspicious hour. Barricades set up by the administration failed under pressure, resulting in people falling over one another.

Following the tragedy, the traditional Amrit Snan of the Akharas was temporarily postponed but resumed later in the afternoon. Regular devotees continued to bathe at the Sangam and other ghats along the Ganges, albeit under tighter security and with thinner crowds.

Officials confirm casualties and the cause of the stampede

Maha Kumbh DIG Vaibhav Krishna addressed the press in the evening, confirming the casualty figures. "The incident occurred due to crowd pressure. The barricades broke, leading to a stampede where people were crushed under the weight of others trying to push forward," he said.

He added that 90 injured individuals had been rushed to hospitals, with 30 confirmed dead. Among the deceased, 25 have been identified, including four from Karnataka and one each from Assam and Gujarat.

Barricade failure blamed for disaster

Officials revealed that crowd control measures, including barricades placed across the mela and akhara areas, failed under the relentless push of the crowd. "As the barricades collapsed, people fell on those already seated and waiting for their turn to bathe during the Brahm Muhurt," explained DIG Krishna.

Despite the tragedy, over 7.5 crore devotees participated in the holy dip throughout the day, according to PTI reports.

Leaders react: PM Modi, CM Yogi express grief

Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended his condolences to the families of the victims, calling the incident "extremely saddening." Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced a three-member judicial commission to investigate the cause of the stampede. The committee includes Justice Harsh Kumar, former DG VK Gupta, and retired IAS VK Singh.

Additionally, Adityanath declared an ex gratia payment of ₹25 lakh for each deceased victim’s family. "It is crucial to understand how such a tragedy unfolded," he stated, announcing that the chief secretary and DGP would visit Maha Kumbh on Thursday to oversee the investigation. As the probe unfolds, the stampede remains a grim reminder of the challenges in managing massive religious gatherings in India.