Stampede tragedy hits Kumbh: Toll at least 30

A pre-dawn stampede on the holiest day of the Maha Kumbh on Wednesday killed at least 30 people and injured another 60 in Prayagraj town after surging crowds burst out of police barricades to rush towards a narrow strip of the riverbank, trampling several bystanders.

- Pawan Dixit, Rajeev Mullick and Kenneth John

Authorities said the tragedy occurred between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m. on Wednesday as millions of devotees jostled to find a toe-hold before taking a dip at the holy Sangam nose, smashing through cordons and putting the spotlight on alleged administrative lacunae in preparing for the "Mauni Amavasya", considered by many as the most auspicious moment of the six-week festival.

"The crowds broke barricades and jumped to the other side, crushing those waiting there. Over 90 injured were rushed to the hospital, out of whom 30 died," said deputy inspector general of Maha Kumbh Nagar, Vaibhav Krishna in the evening. The officer said 25 of the deceased had been identified. Among those injured, 36 were undergoing treatment at a hospital and the rest were discharged.

People aware of the matter said on the condition of anonymity that the toll could rise further, and some eyewitnesses at hospitals suggested it could go beyond 50. In 2013, 36 people had died when a stampede had broken out at the railway station during the Maha Kumbh, again on Mauni Amavasya.

Confusion reigned over the number of casualties through the day as authorities remained tight-lipped about pilgrim deaths, holding a presser only late in the evening. Chief minister Yogi Adityanath's first statement only mentioned that some people were seriously injured, without mentioning any casualties even as statements by President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah clearly specified that people had died.

Modi condoled the deaths.