Maha Kumbh Routes Clogged, Railway Stations On Alert After Delhi Stampede

Prayagraj: Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj and neighbouring cities continued to face massive traffic over the weekend as thousands of vehicles moved towards the city for the ongoing Maha Kumbh, which has attracted more than 50 crore devotees since it began last month.

The congestion in the city was seen near Balsan, Bairhana, Sobtiabagh and Darbhanga. A 15-minute journey is taking residents nearly three hours.

The number of Maha Kumbh-bound vehicles in Madhya Pradesh’s Rewa, which borders Prayagraj, has also increased in the past 24 hours.

The roads are choked despite the completion of three significant ‘Amrit Snans’ (holy dips) on the auspicious days of Makar Sankranti, Mauni Amavasya, and Basant Panchami.

The massive traffic was seen a day after 18 people were killed in a stampede at the New Delhi Railway Station, which was caused by a sudden rush of passengers who were trying to board trains for the Maha Kumbh. Various railway stations across Uttar Pradesh and Bihar have now been put on alert after the stampede.

Last week, thousands of devotees heading to the Maha Kumbh were stranded on highways due to traffic jams, reportedly spanning hundreds of kilometres, on routes leading to Prayagraj. Reports suggested the queue of stranded vehicles stretched up to 300 kilometres.