New Delhi: The tragic stampede at the Prayagraj Mahakumbh Mela continues to unfold, with the official death toll climbing to 49, a number that raises significant concerns about transparency and accuracy amid conflicting reports. The Kumbh Mela administration’s release of photographs of 24 unidentified bodies highlights a critical gap in the official account of the tragedy.
While the official narrative focuses on a single incident at Sangam Nose, resulting in 30 deaths, eyewitness accounts and evidence suggest a more complex picture. TV9 Bharatvarsh captured footage corroborating eyewitness testimony of a separate stampede in Jhunsi’s Sector 21 around 4 am on Mauni Amavasya, the day of the main event. Posters of approximately 24 deceased individuals displayed outside the Prayagraj post-mortem house further fuel suspicions of a significantly higher death toll than officially reported.
The discrepancy between the official count and eyewitness accounts raises serious questions about the accuracy of the reported death toll, eyewitnesses said. The actual number of fatalities may be substantially higher than the 49 officially confirmed. Efforts are underway to identify the victims using the posted photographs, they added.
The initial official report confirmed 30 deaths and 60 injuries at Sangam Nose. While 25 of those killed have been identified, the remaining five, along with the 24 unidentified individuals from the Jhunsi incident, remain unaccounted for. Of the injured, 24 were discharged after receiving first aid, leaving 36 under hospital care. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath responded by announcing a compensation of Rs 25 lakh each to the families of the deceased and ordered a judicial inquiry into the incident.
To investigate the matter thoroughly, an inquiry team, led by retired judge Harsh Kumar, will visit Prayagraj to inspect the sites of both reported incidents. This judicial inquiry, ordered by CM Yogi, is intended to shed light on the circumstances surrounding the stampede and to ensure accountability. The investigation will strive to reconcile the discrepancies in reported casualties and provide a clearer picture of the tragic events that unfolded during the Mahakumbh Mela.
