Despair and horror: 10 photos that tell the story of the stampede at the Maha Kumbh Mela

Photographs from the Maha Kumbh Mela showed bodies amid belongings strewn across the ground and crowds of terrified devotees, some trying to climb over fences and under barricades, after a deadly crowd crush killed at least 30 people and injured 60 others in Prayagraj on Wednesday

The incident took place between 1 am and 2 am when a massive crowd gathered at the confluence of the Ganga and Yamuna for Mauni Amavasya, considered an auspicious day. Witnesses told the BBC that several devotees who were moving quickly towards the banks of the river got entangled with people sleeping near the barricades leading to the crush.

Visuals show frantic devotees trying to save themselves as security personnel struggle to manage the situation.

Around 8 am, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath, in a post on X, urged devotees to keep away from the Sangam Nose, where the crowd crush took place.

Several deaths were feared but government officials did not confirm the toll until the evening when Vaibhav Krishna, deputy inspector general of police for the Maha Kumbh, gave an update on the situation at a press conference.

“The administration quickly enforced the rescue operation and created a green corridor for ambulances,” Krishna said, according to PTI.

Some witnesses who spoke…

Read more