Stampede at Mahakumbh Claims 30 Lives, 60 Injured; Judicial Probe Ordered

Prayagraj: A tragic stampede at the ongoing Mahakumbh in Prayagraj claimed the lives of at least 30 people and left 60 others injured in the early hours of Wednesday. The incident occurred at the Sangam as large crowds gathered for a holy dip on the occasion of Mauni Amavasya.

In response, the Uttar Pradesh government has constituted a three-member judicial commission to investigate the incident. The commission is headed by Justice Harsh Kumar, along with former Director General (DG) VK Gupta and retired Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer DK Singh. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath assured the public that authorities have been closely monitoring the situation from the Chief Minister’s control room, the Chief Secretary’s control room, and the Director General of Police’s (DGP) control room throughout the day.

The Chief Minister also announced a compensation of Rs 25 lakh each for the families of the deceased on behalf of the state government. Additionally, he ordered a separate probe to examine possible lapses in crowd management and police response.

The Mahakumbh Deputy Inspector General (DIG), Vaibhav Krishna, confirmed the details of the stampede and assured that authorities are taking all necessary steps to manage the crisis. Meanwhile, members of Akharas have started arriving at Triveni Sangam in smaller numbers for the traditional ‘Amrit Snan’ following the tragedy.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah have reached out to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to take stock of the situation and extend their support. Further updates on the investigation and safety measures are awaited as authorities work to prevent further incidents at the religious gathering.