Mahakumbh stampede: Family gather at deceased mother-daughter duo's residence in UP's Ballia

Ballia (Uttar Pradesh) [India], January 30 (ANI): Family members gathered at the residence of the mother and daughter who died during the Mahakumbh stampede that occurred in the early hours of Wednesday in Prayagaraj.
The mother and daughter were among the four people from their district who fell victim to the incident.
Dilip Patel, a relative of the deceased, said that his brother called in the morning to inform that his wife and daughter had died in the stampede.
"My elder brother, his wife, their daughter, and my mother had gone to Prayagraj. My niece and brother's wife died during the stampede. My brother called in the morning to inform," he said.
A stampede had occurred in the early hours of Wednesday, leading to the killing of 30 and injuring several others.
Earlier on Thursday, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Vaibhav Krishna addressed the press and said that 25 bodies have been identified while the rest are yet to be identified.
"A total of 30 people have died, unfortunately, in the stampede that took place at the Mahakumbh at Prayagraj. Twenty-five bodies have been identified and the remaining five are yet to be identified," he added.
Among the deceased, four are from Karnataka, one from Assam and one from Gujarat, the DIG said, adding that 36 people were being treated at a local medical college.
The Uttar Pradesh government has announced financial assistance of Rs 25 lakh for the families of the deceased. UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has also ordered a judicial inquiry and said that a judicial committee will submit its report to the state government within a time limit.
"A three-member judicial commission will be headed by Justice Harsh Kumar, former DG VK Gupta and retired IAS officer DK Singh. We have been monitoring the entire incident from the CM's, Chief Secretary's, and DGP's control rooms throughout the day," he said.
To monitor the situation at Mahakumbh, Chief Minister Yogi has postponed his visit to Delhi for the election campaign.
Reflecting on the incident, he said that it happened due to heavy crowds and the breaking of barricades.
"The incident is heart-wrenching. We express our deepest condolences to all those families who lost their loved ones. We have been in constant touch with the administration since last night," CM Yogi said.
Meanwhile, despite a dense layer of fog enveloping Prayagraj on Thursday, a large number of devotees continued to arrive at the ongoing Mahakumbh, marking the significant religious gathering with unwavering devotion. (ANI)