Pragyaraj, 15 February 2025: A car carrying devotees to the Maha Kumbh collided with a bus on the Prayagraj-Mirzapur highway, killing 10 people and injuring 19 in Uttar Pradesh’s Meja area.
The Bolero, transporting pilgrims from Chhattisgarh’s Korba district to the Sangam for a holy dip, crashed into a bus traveling from Madhya Pradesh’s Rajgarh district.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took cognizance of the accident and directed officials to expedite relief efforts and ensure proper medical care for the injured.
The accident follows a series of tragedies involving Maha Kumbh pilgrims. Earlier this week, seven Andhra Pradesh devotees returning from the pilgrimage died, and two sustained injuries when their mini-bus collided with a truck in Madhya Pradesh’s Jabalpur district.
On January 29, a stampede at the Maha Kumbh venue claimed 30 lives and left 60 injured.
“Twenty-five bodies have been identified,” said police officer Vaibhav Krishna. The pre-dawn chaos at the Sangam area erupted as pilgrims surged forward to take a dip on Mauni Amavasya, one of the festival’s most sacred days. According to police, many pilgrims broke barricades before the stampede occurred.
The Maha Kumbh, which began on January 13, will conclude in February.
