Maha Kumbh stampede: Eyewitnesses recounted scenes of chaos and panic as a stampede unfolded at the Sangam during the Maha Kumbh on Wednesday, leaving several feared dead and many injured when a large crowd gathered for the holy bath on Mauni Amavasya.
The Amrit Snan on Mauni Amavasya is the key ritual of the Maha Kumbh, attracting an estimated 10 crore pilgrims. This year, the spiritual importance of the day is heightened by the rare ‘Triveni Yog’ celestial alignment, which is taking place after 144 years.
Vivek Mishra, an eyewitness, said that the chaos at the Sangam was caused by the crowd not knowing where to go, and hidden dustbins making people trip and lose balance.
Mishra said the situation worsened when people began pushing, which led to the stampede, and shared how he got injured while trying to help others in the chaos.
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According to people with knowledge of the developments, who spoke on condition of anonymity, at least 15 bodies have been brought to the hospital. However, officials have not confirmed the death toll at the Maha Kumbh.
“The incident happened around 2.30 am when a large number of devotees arrived at the Sangam banks. The main issue was that the crowd didn’t know where to go after bathing. Many people were carrying heavy luggage on their heads, and there were numerous iron dustbins that pilgrims couldn’t see. A few people lost their balance and fell, and their luggage was scattered all over. I also fell after my feet got stuck in one of the dustbins, lost my shoes, and was left barefoot. I injured my feet. I somehow got up and helped my parents and another woman who were lying on the ground. That’s when the youngsters in the crowd started pushing others, leading to the stampede. I can't fully describe what I saw at ground zero,” said Vivek Mishra.
{{/usCountry}}“The incident happened around 2.30 am when a large number of devotees arrived at the Sangam banks. The main issue was that the crowd didn’t know where to go after bathing. Many people were carrying heavy luggage on their heads, and there were numerous iron dustbins that pilgrims couldn’t see. A few people lost their balance and fell, and their luggage was scattered all over. I also fell after my feet got stuck in one of the dustbins, lost my shoes, and was left barefoot. I injured my feet. I somehow got up and helped my parents and another woman who were lying on the ground. That’s when the youngsters in the crowd started pushing others, leading to the stampede. I can't fully describe what I saw at ground zero,” said Vivek Mishra.
{{/usCountry}}Read: Mahakumbh 2025: Stampede at Sangam on Mauni Amavasya; several dead
Ram Singh, a resident of Fatehpur, said the stampede happened because the exit route was blocked and the crowd got trapped.
“The exit route was completely blocked, so the situation worsened. Four of our group had already gone ahead, and we had told them to stay at Nandni Dwar. The four of us got stuck behind. A lot of people were falling in front of us. The stampede happened because the road was jammed,” said Ram Singh, a resident of Fatehpur.
Another eyewitness, Baljeet Singh from Balia said, “Suddenly, there was such a huge crowd that everyone got crushed. There were 14 of us, and we couldn’t even tell where anyone had gone. We were going for the bath, and people were coming back from there. We didn’t even realise how the crowd got so large, and then people started falling.”
With inputs from Pawan Dixit