Maha Kumbh Stampede LIVE: UP govt announces INR 2.5 mn financial assistance to families of deceased

DIG of Maha Kumbh, Vaibhav Krishna, said that at least 30 people lost their lives and around 60 injured in the stampede. 25 people have been identified and the identification of the remaining 5 is being done. 

Aam Aadni Part (AAP) blamed the administration's mismanagement for the stampede calling the scene from the religious gathering "scary."

Senior AAP leader Sanjay Singh said, "I saw a woman desperately trying to give oxygen from her mouth to her family member to save him. This is heartbreaking. We never wanted to comment on this, but the reality is clear -- VIP culture is the main problem. Roads are being closed for VIP movement, causing chaos for the devotees." 

Union Health Minister JP Nadda spoke with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on the stampede-like situation at the Mahakumbh mela and assured full support for health services, to manage the situation effectively including volunteers.

According to railway officials, no special trains to Prayagraj have been cancelled due to the stampede at the Maha Kumbh Mela. The train operations will continue the same as before.

Earlier, a railway official had said that special trains going from Pandit Deendaya Upadhyaya Junction to Prayagraj were stopped due to the massive crowd and stampede until further notice.

Lok Sabha LoP and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi posted on X, "The news of several people being killed and many being injured due to stampede at Prayagraj Mahakumbh is extremely sad. I express my deepest condolences to the bereaved families and hope for the speedy recovery of the injured. Mismanagement and the administration's special focus on VIP movement instead of common devotees are responsible for this tragic incident... I request Congress workers and leaders to help the affected families."

UP CM Yogi Adityanath took to his Twitter account and wrote in a post, "Maha Kumbh-2025, dear devotees arriving in Prayagraj,Please take a dip at the ghat near you, where you are close to the Ganga. Do not attempt to go towards Sangam Nauj. Kindly follow all the instructions of the administration and cooperate in maintaining order. A peaceful bath is being conducted at all the ghats of Sangam. Do not pay attention to any rumors."

As per reports, Indian PM Narendra Modi has spoken to UP CM Yogi Adityanath for the second time in an hour. He is continuously monitoring the situation at the Maha Kumbh.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to review the situation at the ongoing Mahakumbh Mela in Prayagraj, following a stampede that, as per reports, has killed at least 15 pilgrims.

The Prime Minister has called for immediate support measures.

Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad president Mahant Ravindra Puri said that due to the stampede-like situation at Maha Kumbh, the seers have called off their Mauni Amavasya's Amrit Snan.

"You would've seen what happened in the morning, and that's why we have decided to... All of our saints and seers were ready for the 'snan' when we were informed about this incident. That's why we have decided to call off our 'snan' on 'Mauni Amavasya'," Mahant Ravindra Puri told PTI.

Maha Kumbh, a massive religious gathering, and an age-old tradition, has a history of deadly crowds and stampedes. Let's have a look.

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 A stampede at Maha Kumbh, the world's largest religious gathering on Wednesday (Jan 29) has resulted in multiple casualties, reports suggest.

This happened as crowd control barriers "broke" amid the massive turnout on Mauni Amavasya. 

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