Thousands stranded as roads to Prayagraj closed after Maha Kumbh stampede

Lucknow: Thousands of devotees, who were heading to Maha Kumbh to take holy dip on the occasion of Mauni Amavasya, on Wednesday were stranded after the authorities closed the highways and roads leading to Prayagraj following the stampede in which 30 devotees were killed and dozens injured.

According to the reports, the Lucknow-Prayagraj highway, Bundelkhand Expressway and other roads were closed for traffic and the devotees were being stopped in the ‘’holding areas’’ or were being turned back.

‘’It’s not clear how long we are going to stay here...the officials said that there was huge crowd of devotees at Maha Kumbh and that we will be allowed only after the crowd leaves the Mela area,’’ said one of the devotees who was stopped at Raebareli while on way to Prayagraj.

Reports said that the buses carrying and the devotees were parked at the holding areas at Bachhrawan, Harchandpur, Jagatpur and Unchahar in Raebareli district.

Vehicles on the way to Prayagraj from Pratapgarh, Varanasi, Chitrakoot, Madhya Pradesh and other places were also stopped midway and the devotees were asked to either return or wait till the crowd thinned in the Mela area.

Reports said that some devotees left for Maha Kumbh on foot after their vehicles were not allowed to proceed further, while some decided to go to Varanasi instead of Maha Kumbh to have darshan at the Kashi Vishwanath Temple.

There was a huge jam on the Bundelkhand Expressway and other highways, the reports said.

The Railways has arranged special trains to ferry the devotees to their hometowns from Prayagraj. Reports said that a few Kumbh special trains were stopped mid way in view of the massive crowd at the Mahakumbh.