New Delhi:
The stampede in Maha Kumbh in the early hours of Wednesday took place because the crowd had gathered in advance and broke the barriers, said Uttar Pradesh police. Thirty people have died in the stampede prior to dawn that took place when people took a dip in the confluence of Mauni Amavasya, one of the most sacred days of the religious festival of a month.
“Before Brahma Muhurta, between 1 in the morning and 2 in the morning, a large crowd met at the Akhara Marg,” said Vaibhav Krishna, the deputy inspector general published in the Mahakumbh.
“Due to this crowd, the barricades on the other side broke and the crowd ran over the devotees waiting to give a sacred greeting of Brahma Muhurta on the other side,” he added.
However, one of the families that lost two of its members told NDTV that the tragedy could have been avoided if the barriers open when the crowd began to be built.
“If they had opened the barrier on time, this stampede would have avoided,” said Jagvanti, whose family had come to Kumbh from Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh.
“The barriers did not open on time … a great crowd arrived. No one came to help at that time. People ran.” She added.
The police officer said that after the stampede, 90 people were taken to the hospital.
Of the 30 who died, 25 have been identified. Those who have not yet identified include four people from Karnataka, one from Assam and another from Gujarat.
Thirty -six people are being treated at the Faculty of Local Medicine.
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