Maha Kumbh stampede death toll climbs to 30
What's the story
The death toll from the Maha Kumbh Mela stampede that took place in the early hours of Wednesday has risen to 30, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Vaibhav Krishna confirmed at a press conference in Prayagraj.
At least 60 people have also been injured.
The incident took place on Mauni Amavasya, an auspicious day for holy dips.
The chaos ensued as crores of pilgrims thronged the Sangam area for the ritual bath.
Incident details
Stampede triggered by attempts to jump barricades
Reportedly, the stampede was triggered when pilgrims attempted to jump over barricades set up for a procession of holy men.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath confirmed the incident took place between 1-2am. He has postponed his scheduled visit to Delhi to oversee the situation in Prayagraj.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed his condolences, describing the incident "extremely sad."
Witness reports
Eyewitness accounts describe panic and confusion
Eyewitnesses at the scene spoke of panic and confusion. A pilgrim, Sarojini, told PTI that she was trapped with no chance of escape as people pushed from all sides.
Another eyewitness Vivek Mishra said hidden dustbins may have caused people to trip and lose balance, adding to the chaos.
Ram Singh from Fatehpur said blocked exit routes worsened the situation by trapping many in the crowd.
Rescue efforts
Rescue operations initiated, injured rushed to hospitals
Out of the 30 deceased, 25 have been identified, while the remaining five are yet to be identified. Some of the deceased are from other states, including four from Karnataka, one from Assam, and one from Gujarat.
DIG Krishna went on to say that many of the injured devotees had been taken by family, and 36 others are now being treated at the local medical college.
Authorities took more than 16 hours to release casualty figures.