The Kumbh Mela is currently taking place in Prayagraj. The event began in January 2025 and will continue until March 2025. It is one of the largest religious gatherings in the world and is attended by millions of devotees. During the Kumbh Mela, devotees take a dip and bathe in the holy river, which is believed to purify the soul and wash away sins. Meanwhile, a video is being shared on social media with a claim that stampede occurred at the Ganga ghats where more than 50 women, including children, narrowly escaped drowning in the Ganga. The video is linked to the Kumbh Mela event.
Sharing the video, the X handle Divya Kumari wrote, “Stampede at the Ganga ghat.” (Archived link)
गंगा घाट पर मची भगदड 👇 pic.twitter.com/4r02SW7r0b
— दिव्या कुमारी (@divyakumaari) January 15, 2025
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Fact Check
In our fact check research, we extracted keyframes from the video and conducted a reverse image search. During this, we found a report by Aaj Tak, dated August 12, 2024, where we spotted the same keyframe. According to the report, the incident occurred in Bhagalpur, Bihar, in the month of Shravan.
The incident took place on the fourth Monday of Shravan, the holiest month in Hinduism. Devotees observe fasts, prayers and rituals especially on Mondays (known as Shravan Somvar), which is dedicated to Lord Shiva. They visit temples where they offer prayers and take a dip in the Ganga. On August 12, a huge crowd had gathered at the SM College Ghat in Bhagalpur district to take a dip. The situation escalated and suddenly the crowd went out of control, breaking the barricade. As a result, many women and children were swept away into the deep waters and were at risk of drowning. The stampede-like situation persisted for 30 minutes.
However, the timely intervention of the SDRF team deployed at the site, along with Aapada Mitra personnel, who jumped into the Ganga, managed to save everyone.
The visuals of the incident were shared by Bihar Tak on August 12, 2024. The visuals show the overcrowded Ganga Ghat, where thousands of devotees had gathered to perform rituals.
| Claim | Video of drowning at Ganga ghat linked to Kumbh Mela event. |
| Claimed by | Social media user |
| Fact Check | The incident of drowning at the Ganga Ghat is five months old and took place in the Bhagalpur district of Bihar. On the fourth Monday of the Shravan month, devotees gathered at the Ganga Ghat to perform rituals. Due to overcrowding, the situation worsened, and some devotees began drowning. However, everyone was rescued by the SDRF team. The incident has nothing to do with the ongoing Kumbh Mela. |
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