The Crossbill News Desk
At least 82 people died in the stampede during the Mahakumbh on Mauni Amavasya in Allahabad on January 29 this year, according to a BBC Hindi investigation — a figure that sharply contradicts the official toll of 30 reported by the Uttar Pradesh police.
The government has yet to update the death count or release a complete list of victims, despite widespread demands for transparency and recent intervention by the Allahabad High Court.
Initially, there was a complete information blackout surrounding the incident, with the administration remaining silent for over 24 hours.
When the state government eventually acknowledged the tragedy, it confirmed only 30 deaths, a number that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath reiterated nearly three weeks later on February 19 in the state Assembly.
He said that 29 of the deceased had been identified and vaguely referred to certain areas as “pressure points” where crowd management became difficult. According to the BBC investigation, fatal incidents took place at four of these so-called pressure points.
The BBC report is based on extensive ground reporting across 50 districts and interviews with over 100 families. The journalists verified 82 deaths using photographic evidence, eyewitness testimonies, and confirmation of ex-gratia payments made to families of the deceased.
The deaths have been categorized into three groups: families that received Rs 25 lakh in official compensation via bank transfer or cheque; families that received Rs 5 lakh in cash without any formal acknowledgment of death; and families that received no compensation or government assistance at all.
While 37 families reportedly received Rs 25 lakh through official banking channels, the investigation uncovered another 36 families who said they were handed Rs 5 lakh in cash—bundles of currency notes—by local authorities.
In many of these instances, Uttar Pradesh police officers were directly involved in the distribution of the money. The source of these funds remains unclear, and the government has not accounted for them. Several recipients have preserved videos and photographs as evidence of the cash handovers.
Additionally, BBC reporters identified 19 families who lost loved ones in the stampede but have received neither financial support nor any recognition from the authorities.
The Kumbh Mela, touted by both the central government and the Uttar Pradesh administration as a monumental success, reportedly drew 66 crore attendees over 45 days and incurred an expenditure of nearly Rs 7,000 crore in public funds. Yet, the response to one of its gravest tragedies remains riddled with opacity and administrative silence.
The BBC report also notes that this is not an isolated instance. Earlier this year, following a fatal stampede at the New Delhi railway station, Union Railway Ministry officials were seen publicly distributing compensation in bundles of Rs 100 and Rs 50 notes, raising serious questions about the transparency and dignity of such disbursements.
Concluding its report, the BBC states that while there may be many more deaths that remain unreported or undocumented, it has confirmed 82 based on verifiable evidence and eyewitness accounts. The investigation raises troubling questions about the state’s preparedness, accountability, and willingness to offer justice to the families affected by the tragedy.
The government has yet to update the death count or release a complete list of victims, despite widespread demands for transparency and recent intervention by the Allahabad High Court.
Initially, there was a complete information blackout surrounding the incident, with the administration remaining silent for over 24 hours.
When the state government eventually acknowledged the tragedy, it confirmed only 30 deaths, a number that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath reiterated nearly three weeks later on February 19 in the state Assembly.
He said that 29 of the deceased had been identified and vaguely referred to certain areas as “pressure points” where crowd management became difficult. According to the BBC investigation, fatal incidents took place at four of these so-called pressure points.
The BBC report is based on extensive ground reporting across 50 districts and interviews with over 100 families. The journalists verified 82 deaths using photographic evidence, eyewitness testimonies, and confirmation of ex-gratia payments made to families of the deceased.
The deaths have been categorized into three groups: families that received Rs 25 lakh in official compensation via bank transfer or cheque; families that received Rs 5 lakh in cash without any formal acknowledgment of death; and families that received no compensation or government assistance at all.
While 37 families reportedly received Rs 25 lakh through official banking channels, the investigation uncovered another 36 families who said they were handed Rs 5 lakh in cash—bundles of currency notes—by local authorities.
In many of these instances, Uttar Pradesh police officers were directly involved in the distribution of the money. The source of these funds remains unclear, and the government has not accounted for them. Several recipients have preserved videos and photographs as evidence of the cash handovers.
Additionally, BBC reporters identified 19 families who lost loved ones in the stampede but have received neither financial support nor any recognition from the authorities.
The Kumbh Mela, touted by both the central government and the Uttar Pradesh administration as a monumental success, reportedly drew 66 crore attendees over 45 days and incurred an expenditure of nearly Rs 7,000 crore in public funds. Yet, the response to one of its gravest tragedies remains riddled with opacity and administrative silence.
The BBC report also notes that this is not an isolated instance. Earlier this year, following a fatal stampede at the New Delhi railway station, Union Railway Ministry officials were seen publicly distributing compensation in bundles of Rs 100 and Rs 50 notes, raising serious questions about the transparency and dignity of such disbursements.
Concluding its report, the BBC states that while there may be many more deaths that remain unreported or undocumented, it has confirmed 82 based on verifiable evidence and eyewitness accounts. The investigation raises troubling questions about the state’s preparedness, accountability, and willingness to offer justice to the families affected by the tragedy.
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