Delhi, January 29, 2025 : Several people are feared dead after a stampede at the Maha Kumbh Mela Uttar Pradesh Prayagraj on Wednesday as scores of people turned up for a holy dip in the Ganga on the occasion of Mauni Amavasya. Mauni Amavasya is on one of the holiest days of the event, and lakhs had gathered at the site. A score of ambulances rushed to the ghat and injured persons were taken to the central hospital inside the Mela ground for treatment. People in knowledge of developments told HT on condition of anonymity than at least 15 bodies have been brought to the hospital.
As pressure of the crowds increased due to the Mauni Amavasya ‘Amrit Snan’, the Mela administration was prompted to send people back.
The massive crowds thronging the ghats and the Triveni Sangam on Mauni Amavasya, the day of ‘second Shahi snan’ at the Mahakumbh Mela, made it difficult for the administration to manage and control them.
In view of the incident, the Akharas called off their traditional ‘Amrit Snan’ for Mauni Amavasya, even as devotees in large numbers continued to take a dip at Sangam and other ghats in the Mela area.
Announcements were also being sounded from the public address system, asking devotees to vacate the ghats for others after taking their holy bath.
Amid the stampede chaos, several people returned without taking a bath on this auspicious day.
Summary: A stampede during Mahakumbh 2025 at Sangam on Mauni Amavasya leaves 15 feared dead, raising safety concerns.