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Published 23:14 IST, January 29th 2025

Maha Kumbh Stampede: Jharkhand Man Who Trekked 21 km to Sangam Among 30 Deceased

A 58-year-old bank employee from Jharkhand's Ghatshila was among 30 people who lost their lives in a stampede at the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj.

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Maha Kumbh Stampede: Jharkhand Man Who Trekked 21 Km To Sangam Among 30 Deceased | Image: ANI

Maha Kumbh Stampede: A 58-year-old bank employee from Jharkhand's Ghatshila was among 30 people who lost their lives in a stampede at the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, early Wednesday.

The incident took place in the Sangam area as thousands of devotees crowded the riverbanks to take a holy dip on the occasion of 'Mauni Amavasya'.

Shivraj Gupta traveled to Prayagraj with a group of 16 pilgrims, both men and women, to take a holy dip on the occasion. While most of the devotees were accompanied by their families, Gupta made the journey alone.

Gupta, along with his friends Kamal Mandal and Raj Srivastava, arrived at the Sangam late on Tuesday night, just before the stampede began. As the crowd grew and panic spread, his friends tried to hold onto him but lost their grip in the chaos.

The 54-year-old, who had pre-existing respiratory issues, struggled to breathe in the dense crowd. Overcome by suffocation, he collapsed and later passed away, according to eyewitnesses.

The rest of the group was also caught in the stampede, with several members getting separated in the commotion.

Vaibhav Krishna, Deputy Inspector General, Mahakumbh, stated that the barricades around the ghats and akhadas collapsed due to the heavy rush. As devotees surged forward to reach the ghat, some inadvertently trampled over pilgrims sleeping on the ground, he added.

Speaking to India Today TV, Poonam Raj, wife of Shivraj Gupta, recalled their conversation on Tuesday night. Her husband had mentioned that due to overcrowding, they had to walk 21 kilometers to reach Sangam.

By morning, as news of the stampede spread, Poonam repeatedly tried calling her husband, but there was no response. Calls to his fellow travelers also went unanswered. It was only by 1 PM that she received confirmation of his tragic passing in the incident.

Shivraj Gupta was an employee of Jharkhand State Cooperative Bank. He is survived by his wife, daughter Swarna, who works in Delhi, and son Shivam, who is employed in Bengaluru.

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Updated 23:14 IST, January 29th 2025