Prayagraj: 30 kiled in Maha Kumbh stampede; CM Yogi orders judicial inquiry, announces assistance

New Delhi [India], January 29 : Leaders across the political spectrum expressed condolences on the tragic stampede incident, that occured in the early hours of Wednesday, killing 30 and injuring several others.
Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Vaibhav Krishna held a presser and said that 25 bodies have been identified while the rest are yet to be identified. "A total of 30 people have died unfortunately in the stampede that took place at the Mahakumbh at Prayagraj. Twenty-five bodies have been identified and the rest five are yet to be identified," he added.
Among the deceased, four are from Karnataka, one from Assam and one from Gujarat, the DIG said, adding that 36 people were being treated at a local medical college.
Uttar Pradesh government has announced financial assistance of Rs 25 lakh for the families of the deceased. UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has also ordered a judicial inquiry and said that a judicial committee will submit its report to the state government within a time limit.
"A three-member judicial commission will be headed by Justice Harsh Kumar, former DG VK Gupta and retired IAS DK Singh. We have been monitoring the entire incident from the CM's, Chief Secretary and DGP's control rooms throughout the day," he said.
To monitor the situation of Maha Kumbh, Chief Minister Yogi has postponed his visit to Delhi for the election campaign tomorrow.
Reflecting on the incident, he said the accident happened due to heavy crowds and the breaking of barricades.
"The incident is heart-wrenching. We express our deepest condolences to all those families who lost their loved ones. We have been in constant touch with the administration since last night," CM Yogi said.
Meanwhile, on the occasion of 'Mauni Amavasya' over 57.1 million devotees took a holy dip in the Triveni waters today, according to an official statement from the Uttar Pradesh Information Department.
The ongoing religious event has witnessed an overwhelming show of faith, with millions gathering at the Triveni Sangam to mark this auspicious day of spiritual cleansing and devotion.
The number of Kalpwasis, who observe month-long spiritual austerities, exceeded 1 million, adding to the spiritual fervor.
The total footfall for the ongoing Magh Mela has now surpassed 199.4 million, even as a stampede-like situation briefly occurred due to the overwhelming rush at key bathing ghats.
Meanwhile, leaders from across political parties have expressed grief over the demise of devotees.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma paid his respects to the deceased devotees who lost their lives in the incident during the early hours of the day. He stated that the administration in Uttar Pradesh faced a "challenging" task in managing the huge influx of devotees but was making efforts to ensure that Mahakumbh remains a success.
"25 crore people had come at Mahakumbh. More will come. It is a very challenging job. The UP administration is making every effort to ensure that (Maha)Kumbh is a success. I pay my respect to the devotees who passed away. A devotee from Assam also passed away. We are talking to the UP government to bring his body back home," Sarma told ANI.
Meanwhile, expressing grief over the demise of devotees, Yog Guru Baba Ramdev appealed to those visiting the Mahakumbh to follow self-discipline.
"It is unfortunate. I appeal to anyone visiting Mahakumbh that the Government and the Administration are fulfilling their duties, but we should follow self-discipline as well. The first characteristic of Dharma is patience. If you don't get a chance to go to the Sangam, take a dip wherever you get a place. I pray for the salvation of those who have passed away," Ramdev said.
Aam Aadmi Party leader Raghav Chaddha said that the UP government should review their preparations to avoid such incidents in the future.
"I pray to Mahadev that the souls of the deceased rest in peace. I hope the injured recover quickly. The government should review their preparations to make them better and avoid such incidents in the future," Chaddha told reporters.
Asserting that the lack of arrangements must be rectified, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav said, "I will pray to god that the devotees who were deceased in the stampede, their souls rest in peace. I express my condolences to their family. Whatever is lacking in the arrangements (at Mahakumbh) should be rectified."
Moreover, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren said, "If such an incident happens to any person, it is unfortunate. It is a matter of concern and also a matter of sadness.... Efforts should be made to ensure that such an incident does not happen in future."
Union Minister Chirag Paswan also expressed grief over the demise of devotees in the Mahakumbh stampede and said, "I offer my and my party's homage to all the deceased. I wish for the speedy recovery of all those who were injured... PM Narendra Modi is continuously monitoring the situation... Preparations are being made to prevent this incident in future, and appropriate action will be taken to find out what caused this incident."
He said that actions will be taken against culprits. "I would like to tell those who are politicising this incident that this is not the time to be doing such things," Paswan added.