The Uttar Pradesh government has ordered a judicial probe into the deaths of at least 30 people in stampedes at India’s Kumbh Mela festival, where millions of Hindu devotees gathered for a ritual bath at the confluence of three sacred rivers.
State authorities confirmed that nearly three dozen people had been killed in the crowds while an additional 60 had been left injured.
Chief minister Yogi Adityanath said a separate investigation will be launched into the police lapses after eyewitnesses blamed poor police management for the stampede.
The pre-dawn crowd crush took place about 1km from the confluence in Prayagraj, where the Ganges, Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati rivers meet.
Distraught families gathered outside temporary medical centres, searching for missing relatives, while emergency teams attended to the injured and police struggled to regain control over the crowds.
Wednesday marked a particularly significant bathing day, with officials anticipating a record turnout of 100 million devotees at the pilgrimage site.
The Maha Kumbh Mela, which takes place every 12 years, began on 13 January, with over 400 million people expected to visit before the six-week festival concludes.
Key Points
- Judicial probe ordered after at least 30 killed in Kumbh Mela stampede
- Eyewitnesses recall moment of deadly stampede
- What is the relevance of Kumbh Mela?
State praises police as eyewitnesses find them responsible for stampede
03:36
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Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Livid eyewitnesses placed the blame on the state police for not making proper arrangements, which they say led to the stampede in Maha Kumbh Mela.
Saroja, who had traveled for the festival from the southern city of Belagavi and gave only her first name, blamed police for the deaths of four members of her family."Police didn't make proper arrangements. They are responsible for this," she told Reuters.
But the Uttar Pradesh government praised the police, saying their "swift and effective response ... prevented a potential tragedy"."The police acted quickly to restore order and ensure the safety of the pilgrims, significantly minimizing the situation's impact," it said in the first official statement from authorities about the stampede.
Kumbh Mela authorities make changes after stampede
03:22
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Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
The authorities managing the Maha Kumbh Mela have reportedly taken measures to prevent future incidents after 30 people were killed in a stampede yesterday.
The Uttar Pradesh administration banned entry of all types of vehicles in the Mela area, NDTV reported.
VVIP passes for vehicle entry were cancelled and a one-way traffic system to streamline the movement of devotees was enforced.
Cars and other vehicles arriving from neighbouring districts of Prayagraj were stopped at district borders to reduce congestion.
Chief minister orders judicial probe
03:13
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Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath has ordered a judicial probe into the stampede incident at the Maha Kumbh Mela, which killed at least 30 people, according to government estimates.
He said a separate investigation will be launched into the police lapses at the festival.
State police had dispatched more than 40,000 personnel, as well as drones and cybercrime experts using artificial intelligence to surveil people.
A look at stampedes and crowd disasters in India over the years
02:01
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Tom Watling
Maha Kumbh Mela: About 40 dead in multiple stampedes
00:01
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Tom Watling
Kumbh Mela crowd crush: Scattered belongings line floor after fatal stampede in India
Wednesday 29 January 2025 22:01
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Tom Watling
India's Maha Kumbh festival, the world's largest religious gathering, by the numbers
Wednesday 29 January 2025 20:01
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Tom Watling
In pictures: Satellite images of Prayagraj
Wednesday 29 January 2025 19:00
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Bryony Gooch
Maha Kumbh Mela: About 40 dead in multiple stampedes
Wednesday 29 January 2025 18:01
,
Tom Watling
In pictures: Kumbh Mela festival resumes
Wednesday 29 January 2025 17:00
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Tom Watling
Kumbh Mela stampede: A look back at deadly crowd disasters in India
Wednesday 29 January 2025 16:11
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Tom Watling
In pictures: What is the Maha Kumbh Mela?
Wednesday 29 January 2025 15:28
What caused the stampede at India's Maha Kumbh festival that killed dozens?
Wednesday 29 January 2025 14:40
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Tom Watling
Nearly 40 people werekilled in India's northern state of Uttar Pradesh on Wednesdayand several others injured in a pre-dawn stampede at the MahaKumbh Mela - a Hindu religious festival touted to be the largesthuman gathering in the world.Here are some details about the incident and the situation onthe ground.
WHEN
The stampede occurred between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m. (1930 - 2030GMT Tuesday) as tens of millions gathered at the confluence ofholy rivers in Prayagraj city to take a 'holy dip' in the waterson the festival's most auspicious day.
WHERE
The incident occurred in the 4,000 hectare (9,900 acres)temporary city near the arena for ascetics on the 'Akhada Marg'(Arena Road) that is used by the ascetics to go in a processionto the river.
WHAT HAPPENED
The stampede occurred when several devotees tried to jumpthe barricades put up to manage the crowds during the ascetics'holy dip, officials said.
Some witnesses spoke of routes to the water being closed,bringing the large crowd to a standstill and causing some peopleto collapse due to suffocation, while others began pushing,pulling, and climbing over them in an effort to escape.
Others spoke of a huge push from the back that left themwedged between barricades on one side and police personnelwielding batons on the other.
An official at a hospital where some of the injured wererushed said several victims had fractures and broken bones, andsome of those who died had suffered heart attacks.
THE CROWD
A "large number" of people began descending upon Prayagrajon Tuesday evening as the most auspicious day of the festival -which saw almost 200 million attendees in its first two weeks -approached.
More than 57 million people had taken a dip by 4 p.m. localtime (1030 GMT) on Wednesday alone, officials said, and althoughthe situation was eventually brought under control, the crowdremained "massive".
CONTROLLING THE SITUATION
Additional security has been deployed, including a specialpolice unit trained to manage crisis situations, and police areregulating entry into the city to control the crowd.
Authorities also streamlined the rituals on Wednesday,facilitating dips for devotees first, with ascetics startingtheir processions, which took place on a smaller scale thanplanned, only after the number of other attendees had come down.
In pictures: crowds gather at site of stampede
Wednesday 29 January 2025 14:00
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Tom Watling
State authorities issue official death toll
Wednesday 29 January 2025 13:21
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Tom Watling
State authorities have belatedly released an official death, suggesting that at least 30 people have been killed in the stampede.
Another 60 people have been left wounded.
Recap: Still no official death toll as nearly 40 dead in Kumbh Mela stampedes
Wednesday 29 January 2025 12:40
,
Adam Withnall
Nearly 40 people were killed and dozens suffered injuries in a stampede at the Maha Kumbh Mela in India, where millions have gathered to bathe at the confluence of three sacred rivers.
The pre-dawn stampede took place on Wednesday as large numbers of Hindu pilgrims turned up to take a dip in the waters on Mauni Amavasya — the most significant day of the Maha Kumbh.
The bodies were brought to a hospital morgue near the site of the festival in Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh state, three police sources told Reuters. There was still no official toll of injuries or deaths from the authorities almost 16 hours after the stampedes began, with one senior police officer even dismissing the incident as routine “overcrowding”.
Read the full story below:
What is special about today's 'royal bath' at Kumbh Mela?
Wednesday 29 January 2025 11:30
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Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
At least seven people were killed and around 10 injured in a pre-dawn stampede at the Maha Kumbh Mela in the northern Indian city of Prayagraj on the most auspicious day of the six-week-long festival.
Mauni Amavasya, meaning the new moon day for observing silence, falls on Wednesday and is considered the most auspicious due to a rare alignment of celestial bodies after 144 years.
This cosmic placement, called Triveni Yog, mirrors a significant period in Hindu mythology when the sun, moon and Mercury align in Capricorn, with Jupiter in its ninth element or ninth house of the zodiac.
According to Hindu mythology, one of the earliest sages, Rishabh Dev, broke a long vow of silence on this day and took a dip in the holy waters.
It is believed that those who bathe in these waters on this day, called the Shahi Snan, or royal bath, will attain spiritual growth and purification, with pre-dawn hours being the most auspicious.
Officials expected 100 million people to attend the festival on Wednesday, setting a record for the most number of people on a single day at the Kumbh.By 12 noon, more than 42 million people had taken a dip, officials said. It was not clarified how the numbers were counted.
In pics: Relatives wait outside a hospital mortuary following a stampede at Maha Kumbh Mela
Wednesday 29 January 2025 11:01
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Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Nearly 40 dead in Maha Kumbh Mela stampede
Wednesday 29 January 2025 10:38
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Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Nearly 40 bodies were taken to a hospital morgue following the pre-dawn stampede this morning at India's Maha Kumbh Mela, where millions of Hindu devotees have assembled to take a holy dip at the confluence of three rivers.
The latest figure was attributed to three police sources by Reuters. Indian authorities and the Uttar Pradesh government have so far refused to provide any official death toll despite eyewitnesses stating that the numbers could be in the dozens.
The stampede happened when pilgrims rushing to a sacred river confluence tried to jump barricades erected for a procession of holy men, chief minister Yogi Adityanath said.
Arrangements made for the biggest congregation of humanity
Wednesday 29 January 2025 10:30
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Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
The Uttar Pradesh government has allocated about $765m (Rs64bn) to conduct this year’s event at the Maha Kumbh Mela which began mid-January and will continue into February.
Authorities have created a new tent city to house visitors that spans 4,000 hectares of land along the banks of the rivers.
More than 150,000 tents have been set up on this land, equipped with 3,000 kitchens, 145,000 restrooms and about 100 car parks. Hundreds of thousands of new electricity connections have also been laid as the festival is expected to drain more power than what is consumed in a month by 100,000 urban apartments in the region.
Nearly 100 special trains have also been added to schedules, set to make 3,300 trips during the festival to transport visitors.
State police have also dispatched more than 40,000 personnel, as well as drones and cybercrime experts using artificial intelligence to surveil people.
Underwater drones capable of diving up to 100m have been deployed to provide round-the-clock surveillance, the state’s culture minister said.
At least seven dead in multiple stampedes at huge Hindu gathering
Wednesday 29 January 2025 10:00
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Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
At least seven people were killed and dozens suffered injuries in a stampede at the Maha Kumbh Mela in India, where millions have gathered to bathe at the confluence of three sacred rivers.
Stampedes took place at three separate locations on Wednesday at about 4am (local time) as large numbers of Hindu pilgrims turned up to take a dip in the waters on Mauni Amavasya — the most significant day of the Maha Kumbh.
More than 400 million pilgrims were expected to travel to Prayagraj city in Uttar Pradesh state over the course of the festival, to bathe at the confluence of Hinduism’s three holiest rivers – the Ganga, Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati. It is the largest gathering of people anywhere on Earth.
More details here.
Mapped: The sangam or confluence of the three holy rivers
Wednesday 29 January 2025 09:47
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Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Wednesday 29 January 2025 09:30
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
A look back at deadly crowd disasters in India
Wednesday 29 January 2025 09:23
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Stampede in Uttar Pradesh in 2024
More than 100 people were killed in a stampede in northern India in July 2024 following a Hindu religious gathering, making it one of the deadliest such accidents in years. Thousands had gathered at a makeshift tent for an event led by a Hindu preacher in Uttar Pradesh state. The victims were crushed to death as they rushed to leave. Video of the aftermath showed the makeshift structure appeared to have collapsed.
Bridge collapse at the Navaratri festival in 2013
A collapsing bridge caused a stampede that killed 115 people, mostly women and children, on 13 October, 2013. Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims had come to a Hindu temple in the remote town of Ratangarh in Madhya Pradesh state on the last day of the popular 10-day Navaratri festival.
More here.
‘There was no stampede,’ claims senior cop
Wednesday 29 January 2025 09:00
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Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Rajesh Dwivedi, the senior superintendent of police at the Kumbh Mela, dismissed reports of a stampede saying the people suffered injuries due to “overcrowding”.
“The situation is completely under control. No kind of rumours must be paid heed to... Amrit Snan will soon begin... All preparations for Amrit Snan have been made,” he said.
When asked about the toll, he said: “I don’t have numbers on casualties or injuries.”
President of India issues statement
Wednesday 29 January 2025 08:30
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Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
President of India Droupadi Murmu in a statement this afternoon called the stampede at the Maha Kumbh Mela “extremely sad”.
“I express my condolences to the families of the injured devotees and pray to God that all the injured devotees recover soon.”
Politicians and pop stars attend Kumbh Mela
Wednesday 29 January 2025 08:00
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Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Attendees at the Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj range from India’s defence minister Rajnath Singh and home minister Amit Shah to Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani and celebrities like Coldplay’s Chris Martin and actress Dakota Johnson, who local media reported reached Prayagraj on Tuesday.
Indian prime minister Narendra Modi was also expected to visit the festival next month.
Laurene Powell Jobs, wife of late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, also attended the Kumbh earlier this month.
Uttar Pradesh officials refuse to reveal death toll hours after stampede
Wednesday 29 January 2025 07:25
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Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath said several pilgrims suffered injuries and some were seriously injured in the stampede at the Maha Kumbh Mela but refused to reveal the death toll even eight hours after the crowd crush.
Distressed families lined up outside a makeshift hospital inquiring about their missing relatives, rescuers were helping the injured and police tried to manage the crowds. People’s belongings like clothes, blankets and backpacks were strewn around the scene of the stampede.
It was not immediately clear what triggered the panic.
“The situation is now under control, but there is a massive crowd of pilgrims,” Mr Adityanath said, adding that 90 million to 100 million pilgrims had congregated there. “About 30 million people had taken the holy bath by 8am Wednesday,” he said.
PM Modi offers condolences
Wednesday 29 January 2025 06:47
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Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Prime minister Narendra Modi offered condolences to the bereaved families who lost their loved ones in the stampede at the Maha Kumbh Mela.
“The accident that happened in Prayagraj Maha Kumbh is extremely sad,” he wrote in Hindi language on X.
“The local administration is engaged in helping the victims in every possible way. In this regard, I have spoken to chief minister Yogi ji and I am constantly in touch with the state government.”
Millions bathe in holy waters before 6am
Wednesday 29 January 2025 06:25
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Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
About 17.6 million devotees took a dip in the confluence of three sacred rivers before 6am today at the Maha Kumbh Mela, according to the Uttar Pradesh government.
Wednesday 29 January had long been earmarked as the particularly auspicious day of Mauni Amavasya, and was predicted to be the busiest day of bathing in the six-week festival.
Hindu pilgrims continued to pour into the make-shift tent city on the banks of the rivers despite at least seven people dying in the stampede at the festival this morning.
A total of 199 million people had taken part in the festival up to 28 January, the Times of India reported citing the state government.
What is the Maha Kumbh Mela and why does it attract millions of Hindus?
Wednesday 29 January 2025 06:17
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Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
The Maha Kumbh Mela is one of Hinduism’s holiest festivals, held once every 12 years at Prayagraj in India’s northern state of Uttar Pradesh where the Ganga, the Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati rivers meet.
The rivers are considered holy by Hindus and the Hindu nationalist government of Narendra Modi has spent millions of rupees trying to “revive” the Saraswati
The confluence of the rivers is called Sangam and a “holy dip” in the waters is regarded as one of the festival’s main rituals.
The holy dip is supposed to lead to spiritual purification and moksha, or salvation.
Maroosha Muzaffar has more.
Here’s a look at other major stampedes in India over the past two decades:
Wednesday 29 January 2025 06:00
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Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
A stampede in Uttar Pradesh in 2024
More than 100 people were killed in a stampede in northern India in July 2024 following a Hindu religious gathering, making it one of the deadliest such accidents in years. Thousands had gathered at a makeshift tent for an event led by a Hindu preacher in Uttar Pradesh state.
A bridge collapse at the Navaratri festival in 2013
A collapsing bridge caused a stampede that killed 115 people, mostly women and children in 2013. Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims had come to a Hindu temple in the remote town of Ratangarh in Madhya Pradesh state on the last day of the popular 10-day Navaratri festival.
A stampede at a Hindu temple in Jodhpur in 2008
At least 168 people were killed and 100 injured when thousands of pilgrims stampeded at a Hindu temple in Jodhpur on 30 September 2008. Severe overcrowding apparently caused the crush, as more than 12,000 people gathered at the temple to celebrate Navaratri, a Hindu festival.
Landslide rumors caused deadly crowd surge in 2008
Dozens of women and children were among the 145 people who died on 3 August 2008, when thousands of pilgrims stampeded at a remote mountaintop temple in northern India during celebrations to honour Shakti, a Hindu goddess.
A stampede and blaze during a religious procession in 2005
A stampede during a religious procession to a hilltop temple on 25 January 2005, killed at least 258 people and injured 200 in western India, near the village of Wai, some 241km south of Mumbai. The stampede was triggered after several Hindu pilgrims inside the temple fell on a slippery floor and were crushed to death by other pilgrims who apparently walked on them.
Chief minister refuses to give death toll
Wednesday 29 January 2025 05:45
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Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Uttar Pradesh’s chief minister this morning told reporters that some devotees sustained injuries at the Maha Kumbh Mela while trying to “cross a barricade”.
Yogi Adityanath declined to give a death toll from the stampede this morning, or indeed to confirm that there had been any deaths. He earlier tweeted that people should ignore “rumours” without referring to the incident directly.
Some local officials have described seeing dozens of bodies, while AFP quoted a doctor at the make-shift tent city saying at least 15 people died in the incident. The doctor did not want to be named.
“At present, the situation is in control in Prayagraj, but pressure of crowd has been intact. I have also talked to saints, they said that devotees will take holy dip first and then they will take the dip,” Adityanath said.
Authorities face criticism over stampede deaths
Wednesday 29 January 2025 05:30
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Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Opposition parties in Uttar Pradesh have criticised the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party following the stampede at the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj city.
The Congress questioned the mismanagement at the congregation, adding that the movements of high-profile individuals should be halted.
Chief of Samajwadi Party Akhilesh Yadav said to “re-instill faith in the system among the saint community and devotees”, it was “necessary that the administration and management of the Maha Kumbh should be immediately handed over to the army”.
“Now that the truth behind the claims of ‘world-class system’ has been exposed, those who were making these claims and spreading false propaganda should take moral responsibility for the people killed in this accident and resign from their posts.
In pics: Devotees try to escape stampede by crossing barricade at the Maha Kumbh Mela
Wednesday 29 January 2025 05:00
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Hindu religious leaders call off ‘royal bath’
Wednesday 29 January 2025 04:47
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Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Hindu religious leaders have called off their “royal bath” following the stampede at the Maha Kumbh Mela this morning.
Today is a sacred day during the six-week festival, and authorities were expecting a record 100 million devotees to engage in a ritual bath at the confluence of the Ganga, the Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati rivers.
The ritualistic bathing’s main draw are thousands of naked, ash-smeared Hindu ascetics who arrive in massive processions towards the confluence to take a holy dip in the waters.
“All of our saints and seers were ready for the snan (bath) when we were informed about this incident. That is why we have decided to call off our snan,” said ascetic Ravindra Puri.
Eyewitnesses recall moment of deadly stampede
Wednesday 29 January 2025 04:34
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Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Devotee Ravin told Reuters that he saw many people “falling and getting walked on by the crowd and many children and women getting lost, crying for help”.
Sarojini, a pilgrim from Karnataka state, said she was part of a group of nine people that got trapped after people in the crowd began pushing.
“A lot of us fell and the crowd went uncontrolled,” the eyewitness told PTI news agency. “There was no chance for escape,” she added.
Narayan Singh Lodhi from Madhya Pradesh told The Guardian that his sister-in-law Hukam Bhai Lodhi died in the crush.
“We were very close to the river and there was a big push. People from opposite directions started going towards each other and collided and then started pushing each other, trying to find their way out.
“I saw people falling to the ground and shouting, and people started treading on each other. I tried to rescue as many people as possible but I could only get hold of my wife and another woman. I dragged them out. I saw around 20 bodies who were clearly dead on the floor who had been crushed and others were lying there injured crying out for help.”
Several dead in multiple stampedes at huge Hindu gathering
Wednesday 29 January 2025 04:26
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Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
At least seven people were killed and dozens suffered injuries in a stampede at the Maha Kumbh Mela in India, where millions have gathered to bathe at the confluence of three sacred rivers.
Stampedes took place at three separate locations on Wednesday at about 4am (local time) as large numbers of Hindu pilgrims turned up to take a dip in the waters on Mauni Amavasya — the most significant day of the Maha Kumbh.
Videos showed bodies being taken away on stretchers and people sitting on the ground crying, while others stepped over a carpet of discarded belongings left by people as they tried to escape the stampede.
More details here.
Politicians and pop stars attend Kumbh Mela
Wednesday 29 January 2025 04:11
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Namita Singh
Attendees at the Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj range from India’s defence minister Rajnath Singh and home minister Amit Shah to Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani and celebrities like Coldplay’s Chris Martin and actress Dakota Johnson, who local media reported reached Prayagraj on Tuesday.
Indian prime minister Narendra Modi was also expected to visit the festival next month.
Laurene Powell Jobs, wife of late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, also attended the Kumbh earlier this month.
What is the relevance of Kumbh Mela?
Wednesday 29 January 2025 04:09
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Namita Singh
Hindus believe that taking a dip at the confluence of three rivers - Ganga, Yamuna, and the mythical, invisible Saraswati - absolves them of their sins and confers salvation from the cycle of birth and death.
The world’s largest congregation of humanity, the Hindu festival has already seen gigantic daily crowds, with nearly 148 million people attending since it began two weeks ago.
Authorities had expected a record 100 million people to throng the temporary township in Prayagraj on Wednesday for the holy dip, considered the most auspicious day due to a rare alignment of celestial bodies after 144 years.
Chief minister asks devotees to follow instructions from officials
Wednesday 29 January 2025 03:51
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Namita Singh
Uttar Pradesh’s chief minister Yogi Adityanath appealed to people to take a dip at the nearest river bank rather than trying to reach the confluence of three rivers where the festival is being held.
“All of you should follow the instructions of the administration and cooperate in making arrangements,” he said.
Adityanath did not directly refer to the deadly stampede, however, and told people not to believe “rumours”.
“People are bathing peacefully at all the ghats (river banks) of Sangam (the confluence of the rivers),” he said on X.
Prime minister Narendra Modi spoke to Adityanath earlier and called for “immediate support measures” in the wake of the stampede, reported news agency ANI.
What we know so far
Wednesday 29 January 2025 03:48
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Namita Singh
- At least seven people were killed and around 10 injured in a stampede at the Maha Kumbh Mela in northern India this morning, though reports of tolls vary
- Incident came as tens of millions gathered to take a holy dip on the most auspicious day of the six-week Hindu festival
- Officials said an initial stampede occurred at around 1am local time that was “not serious”. Its cause was unclear
- Witnesses said devotees trying to escape it were caught in another stampede at an exit. They then returned towards the pontoon bridges looking for another way out only to find it had been closed by authorities, resulting in a much more serious crowd crush
In pictures: Several killed in stampede at Kumbh mela
Wednesday 29 January 2025 03:35
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Namita Singh
