At least seven pilgrims returning from the Mahakumbh in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, lost their lives after their tempo traveller collided with a truck on National Highway 30 near Sihora in Madhya Pradesh's Jabalpur district on Tuesday.
The victims were residents of Andhra Pradesh. The government has initiated an inquiry to find the causes behind the accident.
The Mahakumbh devotees had taken a holy dip at the Triveni Sangam—the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati rivers.
After the accident, Jabalpur's District Collector and SP were present at the accident site to survey the situation.
Recent accidents involving Mahakumbh pilgrims
This is the latest in a series of road accidents involving Mahakumbh returnees.
- February 12 (Monday): A couple from Agra died, and four others were injured after their car collided with a truck while returning from the Mahakumbh. Police have seized the truck and detained the driver.
- February 12: A man from Odisha's Rourkela died, and six others suffered injuries when their car collided with a bus in Uttar Pradesh's Sonbhadra.
Mahakumbh 2025 witnesses record pilgrim influx
The Mahakumbh that started on January 13 is the world's largest religious congregation and will come to an end on February 26, that is, Maha Shivaratri.
As of February 9, more than 44 crore devotees have taken a dip in the Triveni Sangam, according to data from the Uttar Pradesh government. On Monday alone, over 1.02 crore pilgrims, including 10 lakh Kalpwasis, participated in the holy ritual.
Also read | Madhya Pradesh to increase 'Ladli Behna Yojana' amount to Rs 3,000 in future: CM Mohan Yadav
