List of dead soon, verifying reports of second incident: Kumbh DIG on Prayagraj stampede

Two days following a pre-dawn stampede near the Sangam that resulted in 30 fatalities and 60 injuries, police announced on Friday that they will investigate claims of another occurrence that day in the Jhusi region of the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj, situated almost 2 km from the stampede location. Vaibhav Krishna, DIG Kumbh, stated,

“The footage from the incident will be carefully reviewed, including recordings from cameras located at the scene.” The police’s action comes after accounts of a chaotic scenario in the Jhusi region shortly after the stampede at the Sangam Nose, the land where the Ganga, Yamuna, and the legendary Saraswati converge. Authorities had previously rejected assertions made by certain shopkeepers regarding a stampede-like incident and fatalities in Jhusi.

When questioned about the number of victims in the stampede, DIG Krishna confirmed that 30 individuals had lost their lives. He mentioned that a list of those who died was expected to be made public on Saturday. The UP government has declared an ex gratia of Rs 25 lakh for the relatives of every individual who lost their life in the stampede. Locals and merchants in the Jhusi region reported that there was turmoil on Wednesday at the Sector 21 intersection following rumors of the stampede at the Sangam Nose.

Raju Nishad, 34, a snack vendor, said: “Around 6.30 am, on my way to my chana cart, I noticed a large crowd at the Sector 21 crossing. This was because there were  people were coming in large numbers from both directions.” He said there was only one route for devotees coming to the Kumbh and leaving the venue, and this led to commotion.

Shiv Charan Bharti, a tea stall owner, said, “Police were deployed in the area but the crowd was so large that they could not manage it.” Describing the incident, Saurabh Mishra, a resident who claimed to be a witness to the chaos, said he heard women and children screaming.

“Suddenly, some devotees, including children and women, fell. Their family members, trying to save them, also fell. There was chaos in at the spot,” said 32-year-old Mishra, who works at a private firm in Prayagraj.

Ashok Nishad, who has a tea shop not far from the Sector 21 crossing, said, “In the chaos, several people entered a sweetshop at the junction. The situation was brought under control after additional forces arrived. We saw several people lying on the road and belongings scattered everywhere. A policewoman started crying as a crowd surrounded her, questioning why she had reached late.”

“People shouted at officials who showed up. A crane was brought to clear the scattered belongings, including clothes, shoes and slippers. The administration cleared the area within two hours. It was hard to tell that an incident had occurred there,” he said.