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‘Crowd kept surging at Maha Kumbh’: In MP, a daughter who couldn’t save her mother & a brother who struggled to get back sibling’s body

The crush, which occurred during ‘Amrit Snan’ on the occasion of Mauni Amavasya’ killed 30 people, including three from Madhya Pradesh: Hukum Lodhi and Sheila Soni from Chhatarpur and Umesh Sarathe from Narmadapuram.

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Jagwanti cries as she takes away the body of her sister-in-law, Rita, who along with her mother Rampati, died in a stampede at Maha Kumbh Mela on Mauni Amavasya in Prayagraj. (Express photo by Chitral Khambhati 290125)

A daughter that saw her mother vanish under a sea of humans and a brother that had to dip into his savings to ensure his sibling’s body could reach the banks of the Narmada from the Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj. These were among the victims of Wednesday’s stampede at the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj.

The crush, which occurred during ‘Amrit Snan’ on the occasion of Mauni Amavasya’ killed 30 people, including three from Madhya Pradesh: Hukum Lodhi and Sheila Soni from Chhatarpur and Umesh Sarathe from Narmadapuram.

Sarathe’s family members sunk into grief as they conducted Umesh’s funerary rites by the Narmada river bed. Relatives say Sarathe was caught on the stampede, which occurred around 1:30 a.m. on ‘Mauni Amavasya’ — a day considered sacred by millions of pilgrims.

“We were all standing together, holding hands so that we wouldn’t get separated,” says Pappu Sarathe, who had travelled to the Maha Kumbh with his brother-in-law, Umesh. “Suddenly, people started running. Umesh fell, and we tried to form a circle around him, but the crowd was too much.”

Hukum Lodhi had travelled more than 400 km from Chhatarpur with 14 others, including her 20-year-old daughter, Deepa. Led by village sarpanch Chatur Singh Lodhi, the group had come for the ritual dip. But as the stampede broke out, Hukum Bai fell near pillar number 155 at Sangam Ram Ghat.

“There was a sudden rush within the crowd. Before we could understand anything, people were pushing each other, and many fell down,” says Raghuveer, a survivor. “Hukum Bai was trampled by hundreds of people. I fell too, but somehow, I was saved. The stampede and chaos lasted for around 20 minutes. It was terrible.”

Deepa tried desperately to pull her mother up, but the surging crowd overwhelmed her. She saw her mother swallowed up by the crowd and killed, her relatives say.

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Also Read | ‘It was like seeing death up close’ – Stampede victims’ families describe the bedlam at Maha Kumbh

She has yet to recover from the shock and is being treated for severe injuries to her chest, hands, and legs.

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Deepali Srivastava consoles Saumya, who lost her mother Neelam Srivastava in a stampede at Maha Kumbh Mela on Mauni Amavasya in Prayagraj. (Express photo by Chitral Khambhati)

It took nearly two hours to retrieve Hukum Bai’s body, Sarpanch Chatur Singh says. “The crowd kept surging, making it impossible to reach her,” he says.

Sheila Soni, another victim, had also come to the Kumbh with her family. Her daughter-in-law, Sunita, described the moment their pilgrimage turned into horror.

Must Read | ‘We screamed, we cried, nobody listened…people just walked over others’: Mahakumbh stampede eyewitnesses recount hours of chaos, panic

“We were seven family members together, and then suddenly, there was screaming. We lost her in the chaos,” she says.

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Crowd at the Sangham ghat, a day after the stampede, during Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj on January 30. (Express photo by Chitral Khambhati)

For the families of the victims, the tragedy did not end when the stampede subsided. Bringing their loved one home became an ordeal.

Anil Sarathe, whose brother Umesh had died in the crush, says the cost of transporting the body from Prayagraj to Narmadapuram was Rs 40,000. “We received no assistance from the government,” he says. “We had to arrange everything ourselves.”

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, who is currently in Japan, expressed condolences and announced compensation of Rs 2 lakh for each family.

Anand Mohan J

Anand Mohan J is an award-winning Senior Correspondent for The Indian Express, currently leading the bureau’s coverage of Madhya Pradesh. With a career spanning over eight years, he has established himself as a trusted voice at the intersection of law, internal security, and public policy. Based in Bhopal, Anand is widely recognized for his authoritative reporting on Maoist insurgency in Central India. In late 2025, he provided exclusive, ground-level coverage of the historic surrender of the final Maoist cadres in Madhya Pradesh, detailing the backchannel negotiations and the "vacuum of command" that led to the state being declared Maoist-free. Expertise and Reporting Beats Anand’s investigative work is characterized by a "Journalism of Courage" approach, holding institutions accountable through deep-dive analysis of several key sectors: National Security & Counter-Insurgency: He is a primary chronicler of the decline of Naxalism in the Central Indian corridor, documenting the tactical shifts of security forces and the rehabilitation of surrendered cadres. Judiciary & Legal Accountability: Drawing on over four years of experience covering Delhi’s trial courts and the Madhya Pradesh High Court, Anand deconstructs complex legal rulings. He has exposed critical institutional lapses, including custodial safety violations and the misuse of the National Security Act (NSA). Wildlife Conservation (Project Cheetah): Anand is a leading reporter on Project Cheetah at Kuno National Park. He has provided extensive coverage of the biological and administrative hurdles of rewilding Namibian and South African cheetahs, as well as high-profile cases of wildlife trafficking. Public Health & Social Safety: His recent investigative work has uncovered systemic negligence in public services, such as contaminated blood transfusions causing HIV infections in thalassemia patients and the human cost of the fertilizer crisis affecting rural farmers. Professional Background Tenure: Joined The Indian Express in 2017. Locations: Transitioned from the high-pressure Delhi City beat (covering courts, police, and labor issues) to his current role as a regional lead in Madhya Pradesh. Notable Investigations: * Exposed the "digital arrest" scams targeting entrepreneurs. Investigated the Bandhavgarh elephant deaths and the impact of kodo millet fungus on local wildlife. Documented the transition of power and welfare schemes (like Ladli Behna) in Madhya Pradesh governance. Digital & Professional Presence Author Profile: Anand Mohan J at Indian Express Twitter handle: @mohanreports ... Read More

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