A judicial fee started its investigation on Friday, 31 January, into the lethal stampede at Prayagraj’s Maha Kumbh that claimed 30 lives and left 60 injured throughout the auspicious Mauni Amavasya celebrations on 29 January. The tragedy was adopted by a fireplace incident on 30 January that destroyed 15 tents within the mela space, marking a difficult interval for one in all humanity’s largest non secular gatherings.
The three-member fee, headed by retired Allahabad Excessive Court docket decide Harsh Kumar, visited the Sangam space to examine the location the place the stampede occurred. The panel, which incorporates former Director Normal of Police VK Gupta and retired IAS officer DK Singh, is anticipated to submit its report inside a month.
The stampede occurred between 1 and a pair of a.m. on Wednesday, 29 January, when crowds broke via barricades on the Sangam space, the place tens of millions had gathered for a holy dip on Mauni Amavasya. DIG Vaibhav Krishna confirmed that 25 of the victims have been recognized, with at the very least 36 of the injured presently receiving medical remedy.
A Karnataka resident, Sarojini, who witnessed the tragedy, informed PTI, “We got here in a batch of 60 folks in two buses. There have been 9 folks in our group. Out of the blue there was pushing within the crowd, and we obtained trapped. Many fell down and the gang turned uncontrollable.”
Including to the challenges, a fireplace broke out in Sector 22 of the mela space on 30 January. Chief Fireplace Officer Pramod Sharma reported that whereas 15 tents have been destroyed, there have been no casualties. The hearth-fighting effort was hampered by restricted street entry, although crews finally introduced the scenario underneath management. This incident follows an earlier fireplace on 19 January 2025 that had destroyed 180 cottages within the Gita Press camp, the place the blaze was reportedly attributable to a gasoline leak throughout tea preparation.
The stampede prompted the Uttar Pradesh authorities to boost crowd administration measures. Regardless of the incidents, over 1.52 crore devotees had taken the holy dip by 2 p.m. on Thursday. Authorities are actually specializing in preparations for the upcoming Amrit Snan on Basant Panchmi on 3 February.
The 45-day Maha Kumbh, occurring after a niche of 144 years, started on 14 January on the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and the legendary Saraswati rivers. The occasion is anticipated to attract over 45 crore devotees, together with roughly 15 lakh worldwide guests, making it the biggest non secular gathering globally.
The state authorities has allotted Rs 7,000 crore for the occasion, implementing trendy safety measures together with underwater drones and AI-enabled cameras. Groups from PAC, NDRF, and SDRF have been deployed on 700 flagged boats to make sure devotee security.
The incident has drawn political consideration, with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge criticising the preparations. “Half-baked preparations, VIP motion, paying extra consideration to self-promotion and mismanagement are liable for this,” Kharge posted on X, urging each central and state governments to enhance programs for future occasions.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath introduced compensation of Rs 25 lakh for households of the deceased and ordered an in-depth probe into the incident. The state’s chief secretary and DGP are scheduled to go to the Maha Kumbh for an in depth investigation.
Regardless of the tragedies, the non secular significance of the occasion stays paramount, notably this 12 months with the uncommon celestial alignment known as ‘Triveni Yog’ occurring after 144 years, amplifying the non secular significance of the gathering for tens of millions of devotees.
