Former India cricketer Harbhajan Singh paid condolences to the families who are affected by the stampede that occurred in the Sangam area of the Maha Kumbh in the early hours of Wednesday. As per officials, the deaths occurred when a huge crowd of devotees rushed forward to take a ritual bath on Mauni Amavasya, one of the most auspicious days. The devotees trampled on pilgrims who were sleeping on the ground at the festival.
Harbhajan Singh who was the part of MS Dhoni-led 2011 ODI World Cup squad took his 'X' formerly known as Twitter to react on the stampede at Maha Kumbh.
"Deeply anguished to know about the unfortunate #stampedeinmahakumbh and death and injury to so many devotees. My heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with the families who lost their near and dear ones. Also prayers for early recovery of the injured. Appealing the Administration for all necessary steps for the devotees so that not only such incidents can be prevented but also devotees don't face any inconvenience. A huge gathering like #MahaKumbhMela demands utmost preparedness. Local administration should be much careful in this regard" wrote Harbhajan Singh.
Vaibhav Krishna, the DIG rank officer at Mahakumbh told the press that 25 bodies have been identified so far and the process of identification for the rest is underway. He said the injured are currently undergoing treatment at the hospital.
This is the first official confirmation of the death toll and the number of injured in the Mahakumbh stampede. Soon after the news broke about deaths in the stampede, political parties were prompt in offering their condolences on the loss of loved ones, however, the number of deaths was not clear.
Addressing the media, the DIG rank officer overseeing the Mahakumbh festivities said: "At around 1-2 a.m. before the Brahma Muhurta, a huge crowd gathered at the Akhara Marg. Due to the massive gathering, the barricades on the other side broke and the crowd ran over the devotees, wanting to take a dip at the Sangam."
He said that at least 90 people were taken to the hospital through ambulances but unfortunately, 30 devotees have passed away.
With agency inputs