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

The police decision follows reports of a panic situation in the Jhusi area soon after the stampede at the Sangam Nose, the strip of land at the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati. Police had earlier denied claims by some shopkeepers of a stampede-like situation and loss of lives in Jhusi.

Asked about the count of stampede victims, DIG Krishna maintained that 30 people had died. He said a list of the dead was likely to be released Saturday. The UP government has announced an ex gratia of Rs 25 lakh for the kin of each person who died in the stampede.

Relatives of the dead victims are waiting for the bodies outside the postmortem house at SRM Medical College in Prayagraj. (Express Photo by Vishal Srivastav)

Residents and shopkeepers of the Jhusi area told The Indian Express that there was chaos Wednesday at the Sector 21 crossing after word spread about 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.

People look for their belongings after the stampede at the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj. (Source: Reuters)

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.

Officials stand with an ambulance inside the mortuary at Motilal Nehru Medical College after a stampede at Maha Kumbh Mela on Mauni Amavasya in Prayagraj. (Express photo by Chitral Khambhati)

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.