Stampede in Mahakumbh at Prayagraj leaves bodies in its wake

Thirty people died and at least 60 were injured around 1:30 am in a stampede in Mahakumbh. There was a rush of ambulances at postmortem house at S R M Medical college in Prayagraj on wednesday. (Express Photo by Vishal Srivastav 29012025)

The dead and injured were taken to medical facilities on the Maha Kumbh grounds and to hospitals in the city. (Express photo by Chitral Khambhati 290125)

Officials identified 25 people out of the 30 dead. (Express photo by Chitral Khambhati 290125)

Witnesses say the stampede took place when barricades along the route meant for the akharas were felled and people charged towards the Sangam Nose colliding with those returning. (Express photo by Chitral Khambhati 290125)

In the wake of the stampede, PM Modi addressed the families of the victims expressing his condolences. (Express photo by Chitral Khambhati 290125)

Families mourn outside mortuary in the aftermath of the Mahakumbh stampede. (Express photo by Chitral Khambhati 290125)

The UP government has decided to conduct a judicial inquiry into the incident to understand the root cause and provide some answers to the victims. (Express photo by Chitral Khambhati 290125)

‘It was like seeing death up close’ – Stampede victims’ families describe the bedlam at Maha Kumbh. (Express photo by Chitral Khambhati 290125)

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced an ex gratia of Rs 25 lakh each for the kin of the deceased. (Express photo by Chitral Khambhati 290125)

"When my mother went missing, there was no one to help. To bring her back to Uttarakhand, we had to wait for eight hours before an ambulance could be arranged", says Kohli from Uttarakhand.(Express photo by Chitral Khambhati 290125)

There were just too many people and the administration and police could not control them. Around 6 am, someone told them that bodies were taken down to the road below says the son of one of the victims. (Express Photo by Vishal Srivastav 29012025)

As the families of stampede victims waited in the biting cold outside a Prayagraj mortuary to collect the bodies of their loved ones, a group of local residents stepped up to provide them a small measure of succour. (Express Photo by Vishal Srivastav 29012025)

“We saw a large number of people gathered at the mortuary gate. It was heartbreaking to see elderly persons and children,” said Omwati, who works at the gate of the girls’ hostel of the college. (Express Photo by Vishal Srivastav 29012025)

After a day of the stampede in Mahakumbh, the visibility of people was seen to be very low in Prayagraj on Thursday. (Express Photo by Vishal Srivastav 30012025)

Day after the stampede, people maintain proper grip of their old and child relatives, come for Mahakumbh holy bath, in Prayagraj on Thursday. (Express Photo by Vishal Srivastav 30012025)