Maha Kumbh stampede: CM Yogi Adityanath assures 'situation under control'

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has appealed to devotees attending the ongoing Mahakumbh in Prayagraj to take a holy dip at the ghats closest to them, advising against heading to the Sangam Ghat due to the overwhelming crowds.

His appeal followed a stampede-like situation early in the morning that resulted in several injuries.

The Chief Minister stated that around 8 to 10 crore devotees were present in Prayagraj that day, putting significant pressure on the movement of people toward the Sangam Nose. He confirmed that some devotees sustained serious injuries while trying to cross barricades on Akhara Marg.

#WATCH | Lucknow | Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath says," The situation in Prayagraj is under control..."

"Around 8-10 crore devotees are present in Prayagraj today. There is continuous pressure due to the movement of devotees towards the Sangam Nose. A few devotees have… pic.twitter.com/lOc1OIraqm

— ANI (@ANI) January 29, 2025

"Around 8-10 crore devotees are present in Prayagraj today. There is continuous pressure due to the movement of devotees towards the Sangam Nose. A few devotees have suffered serious injuries when they tried to cross barricading on Akhara Marg. The injured have been shifted to hospitals for medical treatment," CM Yogi Adityanath explained.

He added that the influx of devotees had significantly increased since the Mauni Amavasya mahurat began the previous night.

CM Yogi also mentioned that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and Governor Anandiben Patel were constantly monitoring the situation.

"The PM has taken stock of the situation four times till now. Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Governor Anandiben Patel are also continuously taking reports of the situation," he noted.

Addressing the situation further, Yogi Adityanath reassured the public, stating, "The situation in Prayagraj is under control, but the crowd size remains massive. The saints of different Akharas have humbly said that devotees should take a holy dip first and once crowds reduce, Akharas will proceed for the holy dip."

He advised against focusing solely on the Sangam Nose, as there were large crowds at other locations like Nag Vasuki Marg and Sangam Marg.

"I appeal to the devotees to not pay attention to any rumour. Ghats have been made in the entire Kumbh area; devotees don't need to move towards Sangam Nose only. Devotees should take a holy dip at the ghats nearest to them," he urged, while ensuring the injured were receiving proper medical treatment.

The Chief Minister also highlighted that Indian Railways had arranged special trains to facilitate the swift movement of devotees.

"The Railways have organised special trains from different stations of the Prayagraj region to take devotees back to their respective destinations," he added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also has expressed his condolences to those who lost loved ones in the stampede-like situation and wished for the quick recovery of all the injured.

प्रयागराज महाकुंभ में हुआ हादसा अत्यंत दुखद है। इसमें जिन श्रद्धालुओं ने अपने परिजनों को खोया है, उनके प्रति मेरी गहरी संवेदनाएं। इसके साथ ही मैं सभी घायलों के शीघ्र स्वस्थ होने की कामना करता हूं। स्थानीय प्रशासन पीड़ितों की हरसंभव मदद में जुटा हुआ है। इस सिलसिले में मैंने…

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 29, 2025

The stampede-like incident occurred in the early hours of Wednesday, as millions gathered at the confluence of the Ganga and Yamuna rivers to take a holy dip during Mauni Amavasya, which also marked the Second Shahi Snan.

As of 10 am, the Uttar Pradesh government reported that 36.1 million devotees had bathed in the Triveni Sangam.