PM Modi Likely To Cancel Maha Kumbh Visit On Feb 5

We were waiting in the queue to take the holy dip on the occasion of Mouni Amavashya,

Pushpa narrated the ordeal

I have been speaking to Chief Minister Yogi ji and am in constant touch with the state government,

he said

We’ve obviously heard about the stampede,

said 21-year-old Naveen Pradhan, who arrived with his family just hours after the tragedy

But this is a sacred duty—we wouldn’t miss it no matter what,

he was quoted as saying by AFP news agency

Thank you so, so much for all the exceptionally kind messages, checking if we’re ok. We are - but there were countless utterly terrifying times this morning, and they weren’t over quickly,

he told wellwishers

Everyone is deeply sad about the loss of life here. Those desperate pilgrims,

Rajan added

Then suddenly my mother fainted, and some other elderly people also fainted, which created a commotion. We fell down and many people stepped over us,

said Devi, wailing next to the bodies of her mother and sister-in-law at a city mortuary

Thank you again for all your messages. It means more to us - me and the heroic crew - than you might imagine.”

The broadcaster concluded

It is important to get to the bottom of how such a tragedy occurred,

said an emotional Adityanath

Unfortunately, 30 of those devotees have died,

senior police officer Vaibhav Krishna told a news conference on Wednesday evening

Both fly with the mortal remains and they will ensure the bodies reach Belagavi this evening. Embalming will be done in Delhi,

he said

The stampede at Mahakumbh in Prayagraj is tragic, in which many innocent devotees lost their lives. In this hour of grief, my heartfelt condolences are with the bereaved families,

said Jamaat-e-Islami Hind Vice President Salim Engineer

The lives of ordinary devotees also deserve the same care and protection as VIP guests,

he said

We stand in solidarity with those who have lost loved ones and pray for patience and strength in this time of grief,

he said

The incident occurred due to the pressure of the crowd. The crowd broke through barricades and jumped to the other side, crushing those who were waiting there. Over 90 injured people were rushed to the hospital, of whom 30 have died,

he said

As the barricades broke, people fell on those sitting and waiting to take the holy dip during the 'brahm muhurt' (the early morning time considered auspicious for certain activities),

he explained

There was no chance for escape, there was pushing from all sides,

the woman said

There was commotion, everybody started pushing, pulling, climbing over one another. My mother collapsed...then my sister-in-law. People ran over them,

said Jagwanti Devi, 40, as she sat in an ambulance with the bodies of her relatives

We are in touch with the Mela administration, NDRF, SDRF and others and all the possible relief was provided…the snan by the akharas, which was deferred following the stampede, was resumed later,

he added

Police didn’t make proper arrangements. They are responsible for this,

she said