Wed Jan 29 02:40:00 UTC 2025: **Prayagraj Kumbh Mela Stampede Separates Families, Leaving Hundreds Searching for Missing Loved Ones**
PRAYAGRAJ, INDIA – Panic and chaos ensued at the Prayagraj Kumbh Mela late last night, resulting in a stampede that separated numerous families. Dozens of distraught individuals are now desperately searching for missing relatives, many of whom vanished amidst the confusion.
Eyewitnesses described a scene of sudden pandemonium around midnight to 1 a.m. while devotees were bathing in the Sangam (confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers). One man from Deoria district recounted how he lost his wife, Poonam Devi, in the crush after a sudden surge of the crowd. Another woman from Jamui, Bihar, reported the disappearance of her 52-year-old grandmother, Rekha Devi, from Lakhisarai district, during the stampede. A young man from Vaishali, Bihar, also recounted losing his mother, Chandra Kiran Devi, in the chaos.
Those who lost loved ones described hearing only the incessant wail of ambulances amidst the pandemonium and seeing only emergency vehicles moving through the crowd. All three individuals and many more have sought refuge at the Kumbh Mela’s lost and found center, pleading for assistance in locating their missing family members. Several are vowing to remain at the Mela until their loved ones are found. The exact number of missing persons remains unclear. Authorities have yet to release an official statement on the incident.
First Piper 