At least 7 killed, several injured after stampede at Maha Kumbh festival in UP

At least seven people have been killed, and dozens injured in a stampede at Maha Kumbh festival as tens of thousands of people turned out for the religious gathering to offer their prayers by the riverbanks of the northern city of Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh, officials said on Jan 29.

In view of the incident, the Akharas called off their traditional 'Amrit Snan' for Mauni Amavasya, even as a large number of devotees continued to take a dip at Sangam and other ghats in the Mela area.

Videos on social media show 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 after the stampede.

Rapid Action Force (RAF) – a special unit called in during crises – had been deployed to the area to bring the situation under control, and rescue efforts are under way, officials said.

"Many injured have been hospitalized after a barrier broke at the Sangam. We are yet to have the exact count of those injured," news agency PTI quoted Akanksha Rana, an official on duty as saying.

Some other videos and pictures show distraught family members waiting outside makeshift hospitals, and clothes, bags, and jackets strewn across the ground at the site of the chaotic crush.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi reviewed the situation at the Maha Kumbh in a call with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath following the incident and called for immediate support measures.

Modi is continuously monitoring the situation and has spoken to Adityanath twice so far, officials said.

He offered his deepest condolences to the devotees who lost their family members in the stampede at the Mahakumbh, describing the tragedy as extremely saddening.

Modi said that whatever happened in Prayagraj on Jan 29 is extremely sad.

In a post on X, Modi said the local administration in Prayagraj is giving all possible help to the victims and wished a speedy recovery to the injured. He said, "I have been speaking to Chief Minister Yogi ji and am in constant touch with the state government."

"The accident that happened in Prayagraj Mahakumbh is unfortunate. My deepest condolences to the devotees who have lost their loved ones in this. I also wish for the speedy recovery of all the injured. The local administration is engaged in helping the victims in every possible way. In this regard, I have spoken to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and I am constantly in touch with the state government," PM Modi posted on X Jan 29.

In nearly three weeks, the Mahakumbh Mela 2025 has already witnessed over 15 crore pilgrims taking a holy dip in the Sangam and ghats. On Jan 28 alone, more than 4.8 crore devotees took the bath, a tally higher than that of Amrit Snan (bath) on Makar Sankranti, which was 3.5 crore, the UP government said.

"All of you should follow the instructions of the administration and cooperate in making arrangements. People are bathing peacefully at all ghats (river banks) of Sangam (the confluence of the rivers)," Adityanath wrote on X.

Tens of thousands of pilgrims head to site to wash away their sins

The Mela is the biggest gathering of people in the world — where families, devotees and elderly pilgrims gather at the meeting point of rivers Ganges, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati, once every 12 years.

Millions of people bathe in the riverwaters because they believe the ritual washes away their sins and frees them from the cycle of rebirth.

This year's festival — which has the prefix 'maha' meaning 'great' — is thought to be one of particular significance with astrologers saying that such an alignment of stars hasn't occurred in 144 years, according to media reports.

Organizers expect over 400 million people to descend on Prayagraj between Jan 13 and Feb 26.

Auspicious bathing day sees a large number of devotees

While this year's festival is celebrated over a span of 45 days, Jan 29 marks the occasion of 'Mauni Amavasya' which is the last new moon night before the festival of Mahashivratri and the most auspicious bathing day.

Authorities expected Jan 29 to be the most crowded day of the festival because worshippers believe that bathing on the day offers a unique opportunity to be blessed by ancestors.

The UP government expected around 100 million devotees to visit the site, according to a press briefing earlier in January.

Videos on social media showed a sea of people gathered in the early hours of Jan 29, waiting for their turn to bathe in river waters.

Meanwhile, authorities suspended bathing in the waters temporarily because of the incident.

Stepped-up security measures

In the stepped-up security measures, personnel have been deployed at every nook and corner, along with AI-powered CCTV cameras and drones keeping an eye on the Mela ground.

In addition, the Prayagraj authorities have already declared the Mela area as a no-vehicle zone for the next few days, adding that they have made a fervent appeal to local residents to avoid using any four-wheelers and opt for two-wheelers only if transporting senior citizens to the Sangam.