The pickup reportedly had around 20 passengers on board at the time of the accident.Sahil Sinha

6 killed, many injured as truck rams vehicle of Kumbh returnees in UP's Ghazipur

A speeding truck crashed into a vehicle carrying Maha Kumbh Mela devotees in Uttar Pradesh's Ghazipur, leaving at least six dead and many injured. The accident follows a deadly stampede in Prayagraj earlier this week.

by · India Today

In Short

  • Truck lost control, crashed into pick-up van carrying Kumbh pilgrims
  • Vehicle was carrying around 20 devotees, truck driver on the run
  • Incident follows Prayagraj stampede on Jan 29, killing at least 30

At least six people were killed and many injured after an uncontrolled truck rammed into a vehicle carrying devotees returning from Prayagraj's Maha Kumbh Mela in Uttar Pradesh's Ghazipur on Friday evening, officials said.

The accident took place in Kusmi Kala area near the Nandganj police station. The pickup van reportedly had around 20 passengers on board at the time of the accident.

All the injured have been shifted to Ghazipur Medical College for treatment. The District Magistrate, along with police and administrative officials, have reached the spot and are overseeing rescue operations.

Meanwhile, the truck driver fled the scene after the crash.

This comes a day after at least 30 people were killed and 60 injured in the pre-dawn stampede in the Sangam area of the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj as millions of pilgrims jostled for space to take a holy dip on the occasion of "Mauni Amavasya", one of the most auspicious days of the Hindu calendar.

Even on Thursday, millions of devotees flocked to the Triveni Sangam and other ghats at the Maha Kumbh to take a dip with the Uttar Pradesh government ramping up efforts to ensure crowd management and safety of people in view of the stampede tragedy.

According to the UP government, over 2.06 crore devotees participated in the holy bath on Thursday, bringing the total number of pilgrims who have taken the sacred dip since the beginning of the Kumbh Mela to more than 29.64 crore.

"The crowd pressure was relatively lower Thursday and all bridges were reopened, allowing smoother movement within the mela area," news agency PTI quoted an official as saying.

The state government said no VIP protocols will be enforced by the administration on the special bathing days of February 3, 12 and 26. "VIP and VVIP movements must be notified at least one week in advance to concerned authorities," a government circular read.

The Maha Kumbh, believed to be among the holiest Hindu pilgrims and held once in 12 years, started on January 13 and will conclude on February 26.