India suppressed actual casualty figures in Kumbh Mela stampede, alleges BBC

The Uttar Pradesh (UP) government claimed 37 people died in the deadly stampede at the 2024 Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, a record congregation. But a BBC Hindi investigation now asserts a far grimmer picture, finding 26 families who received partial compensation — ₹500,000 in cash — from plain-clothed police officers. Another 18 deaths were confirmed, with no compensation given. These 44 cases come on top of the official count, raising serious questions about underreporting.

Despite the scale of the tragedy, the government has not released an official list of names. One of the few families that spoke on record is that of Tara Devi from Gopalganj, Bihar. Her son, Dhananjay Gond, said UP officers gave him ₹500,000 in cash and asked him to record a video stating: "My mother Tara Devi and I went to the Kumbh Mela for a holy dip. My mother died. Officers from UP came and gave us 500,000 rupees. We have received it."

Behind closed doors: Hush money, hidden documents

While the government says it paid ₹2.5 million to 35 families (excluding one unidentified victim and one with no legal heir), the BBC found one more full compensation payout, bringing the total to 36.

But there’s a crucial difference: those receiving the full amount got it through bank transfers or cheques, with death locations often listed as “Ward No. 7, Fort Cantt, Prayagraj”. Those who received ₹500,000 got it in cash — at their homes — often with vague or misleading location details, such as “Sector-20” or “Sector-21, Jhusi”.

In many cases, families said they were asked to sign documents attributing the cause of death to illness or natural causes. This is significant because the UP government does not offer compensation for natural deaths during the Kumbh.

Mapping the tragedy: 4, not 1, crush points

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath claimed the stampede occurred only at the Sangam Nose, the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and mythical Saraswati rivers. But the BBC identified four distinct sites where deadly crushes occurred on 29 January:

• Sangam Nose

• Jhusi side of Samudrakup Chauraha

• Airavat Marg

• Mukti Marg Chauraha near Kalpavriksha Gate

By interviewing families and eyewitnesses, the BBC reconstructed event timelines, distances from bathing sites, and immediate responses. These patterns strongly indicate that the tragedy unfolded in multiple zones, not just one.

Unacknowledged deaths and unanswered calls

The BBC confirmed 82 deaths based on concrete proof like morgue slips, post-mortems, certificates, and media reports. Yet 18 families are still waiting for any recognition or support.

For instance, five bodies identified at a single site received wildly inconsistent treatment: three families got ₹500,000; two got nothing. Some held photographs of their loved ones' corpses, yet the state refused to acknowledge the deaths.

Repeated attempts to seek responses from the UP government yielded no results. The BBC emailed the information department and district magistrate’s office and reached out to the police commissioner and Mela officials — all declined to comment or ignored the queries.

Far from Sangam: Deaths in ignored locations

The stampede’s impact extended well beyond Prayagraj city limits. In UP’s Jaunpur, Dharmraj Rajbhar received ₹500,000 each for his wife and daughter-in-law, who died at Airavat Marg. He showed the BBC the cash and said:
"The government promised 2.5 million rupees, but the police gave only 500,000 rupees each and left."

UP officers also travelled to West Bengal’s Paschim Bardhaman to hand over ₹500,000 to the family of Vinod Ruidas.

In Bihar, the family of Sunaina Devi turned down the money, unwilling to sign what they described as “false documents.”

Near Kalpavriksha Gate, five more families lost relatives. Kusum Devi, whose husband died at 8 AM, said:
"People were stepping over his body. I sat in the sun with his corpse until 4 PM. No one even gave us water."

All five families shared similar stories — left to sit with dead bodies for hours with no help.

Forgotten victims still waiting

More families are now stepping forward. Among the 18 still waiting for compensation is that of Meena Pandey from Sultanpur. Her neighbour Archana Singh stayed with the body for seven hours, with no help arriving despite government claims of thousands of AI-powered CCTV cameras, drones, ambulances and security personnel.

By the time they left, Meena's body had already started decomposing. “We had no choice but to carry it home in our vehicle,” Archana said.

In Deoria, Bhagirathi Gond searched for days before finding out that his father, Shyamlal Gond, had been brought dead to a hospital on 29 January. He was listed as “unidentified”. Bhagirathi says: "They took a photo of the body… It was difficult to identify him… His head was bent down, chest pushed upward, and his face had slightly turned."

It took four months to get a death certificate. No compensation has come. "The government has still not acknowledged that my father died in the crush."