Prompt medical services, green corridor ‘restricted’ damage at Maha Kumbh stampede: UP govt

MAHA KUMBH NAGAR (UP), Jan 29: With opposition leaders questioning the crowd control meaures at the Maha Kumbh following a stampede that killed at least 30 people at the Sangam area, the Uttar Pradesh government on Wednesday said “prompt medical services” and a “green corridor” created for such emergencies “restricted” the damage.
Police held a press conference Wednesday evening confirming that at least 30 people were killed and 60 others injured in the stampede that broke out in the early hours of Wednesday as people jostled for space to take a holy dip on the occasion of Mauni Amavasya.
In a statement, the UP government said that more than 50 ambulances rushed “within two to three minutes by creating a green corridor to rescue people affected in the incident. More than 100 rounds were made by ambulances to save people’s lives.”
Doctors also reached the spot within two to three minutes, while the NDRF, SDRF and police were present to assist them, it said.
According to eyewitness accounts, one of the reasons for the stampede was the sudden surge of pilgrims at the Sangam – all driven by a wish to take the holy dip at 3 am, the start of the auspicious hour.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said the incident took place between 1 am and 2 am when some devotees climbed over the barricades at Akhara Marg.
The UP government came under fire from opposition parties for the stampede who questioned the quality of arrangements made at the gathering and blamed a special focus on VIP movement.
Dr Gaurav Dubey, the nodal medical officer of the Maha Kumbh Mela area, said specialist doctors treated the injured with promptness.
“The emergency ambulance service of the Yogi (Adityanath) government played a big role in this. After the accident, ambulances were sent to the site at full speed by creating a green corridor. Within just two to three minutes, expert doctors and medical team reached the spot and started first aid,” he was quoted as saying in the statement.
“After providing first aid to the injured at the scene, the seriously injured were taken to the Central Hospital where they were treated. Some patients were shifted to Swaroop Rani Nehru Hospital or Tej Bahadur Sapru Chikitsalaya (Bailey Hospital),” the goverment said in its statement issued on Wednesday evening.
The UP government added that the green corridor “helped save lives”. Over 1,000 medical staff were at the hospitals to help the injured, it said.
Green corridors were created to enable quick movement of rescue teams during emergencies.
The Samajwadi Party and Congress slammed the UP government’s arrangements for the Maha Kumbh. SP chief Akhilesh Yadav said the government’s “claims of making world-class arrangements” were “false propaganda”.
“The administration and management of the Maha Kumbh should be immediately handed over to the Army instead of the UP government,” he posted on X.
The Congress hit out at the Centre and the state government, with party leader Rahul Gandhi saying that mismanagement and the administration’s special focus on VIP movement instead of common devotees were responsible for the stampede.
DIG (Kumbh) Vaibhav Krishna said an unprecedented number of devotees arrived for the ‘Amrit Snan’ on the occasion of Mauni Amavasya, with estimates exceeding 10 crore pilgrims.
The administration has consistently urged pilgrims to use the nearest ghats for bathing, the government statement said. It is not feasible for everyone to bathe at the Sangam, it said.
The chief minister had also issued an appeal on Wednesday asking devotees to take a dip in the Ganga at their nearest ghats and not try to reach the Sangam Nose to avoid overcrowding. (PTI)