10 Maha Kumbh devotees killed in car-bus crash on Prayagraj highway

At least 10 people, all of whom were devotees from Chhattisgarh traveling to the Maha Kumbh Mela in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj, died after their Bolero car collided with a bus on the Mirzapur-Prayagraj highway. The crash, which took place around midnight, also left 19 others injured, reported India Today.

The devotees, all from Korba, Chhattisgarh, were traveling to the Sangam for a holy dip. The bus involved in the collision also carried pilgrims from Rajgarh, Madhya Pradesh.

"Ten people died after a car carrying devotees from Chhattisgarh to the Maha Kumbh collided with a bus. The accident occurred on the Prayagraj-Mirzapur highway around midnight. The bodies have been taken to Swaroop Rani Medical Hospital for post-mortem. Further investigation is going on," Prayagraj Additional SP Vivek Chandra Yadav said.

CM Yogi Adityanath orders relief measures

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath directed officials to reach the accident site and ensure that relief and rescue efforts were carried out. He also instructed authorities to provide medical treatment to the injured.

The state administration is monitoring road safety measures, especially during the Maha Kumbh Mela, which has seen millions of devotees arriving in Prayagraj.

Recent accidents involving Maha Kumbh devotees

This crash is one of several accidents involving devotees traveling to and from the Maha Kumbh. The large number of pilgrims, along with heavy traffic on highways leading to Prayagraj, has led to multiple road mishaps.

On Tuesday, seven devotees from Andhra Pradesh died when their tempo traveller collided with a truck on a highway in Madhya Pradesh’s Jabalpur district.

On Monday, a couple from Agra died, and four others were injured when their car collided with a truck while returning from the Maha Kumbh. Station House Officer Rudra Pratap Singh confirmed that authorities seized the truck and detained the driver.

That same day, a bus-car collision in Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh, led to the death of a man from Rourkela, Odisha, while six others sustained injuries. The accident raised further concerns about vehicular safety and traffic management during the Maha Kumbh Mela.

Maha Kumbh 2025: Record footfall amid safety concerns

The Maha Kumbh Mela, one of the largest religious gatherings, began on January 13 and will continue until February 26, coinciding with Maha Shivratri.

According to the Uttar Pradesh government, as of Friday at 6 pm, over 9.2 million devotees had taken a holy dip at the Sangam, pushing the total footfall past 500 million.