GUWAHATI: Two women from Assam’s Biswanath Chariali and Tinsukia respectively have gone missing at the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj since after the stampede on Wednesday, January 29. The women have been identified as Manju Devi Agarwal and Leela Devi, respectively, as both their families have sought public assistance in locating her.
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Manju Devi was last seen at the religious gathering when she and her family members had gone for the ‘Maha Snan.’
Speaking to GPlus over phone from the Maha Kumbh Mela, Nita Agarwal, daughter-in-law of Manju Devi, said, “The incident took place at around 2 PM to 3 PM. We had all gone together for the snan, but we lost my mother-in-law in the crowd. There were so many people.”
Nita stated that they had also dialled the helpline number, 1920, to locate her, but the efforts have not paid off yet.
Manju Devi’s family has urged anyone with information to come forward and contact Nita Agarwal at 7637010291, Prabhu Poddar at 9864062000, or Nisha Poddar at 8472811751.
In the other incident, Leela Devi is reported to have gone missing at around 5:30 PM on the same day. She was last seen at Mahakumb Pillar No. 231. Speaking to GPlus, Leela Devi’s son has sought assistance from the media and the relevant authorities on locating her, and can contact the individual on 8472900833.
Incidentally, a businessman from Assam's Hailakandi, Niti Ranjan Pal, died in the stampede. Altogether 30 people have been reported to have died while more than 60 were injured in the stampede.
Authorities have requested local residents to refrain from visiting the Mela for the time being, as the visiting crowd has surged beyond expectations in the past few days.
The Uttar Pradesh government has imposed several restrictions, including on VVIPs and entry of four-wheelers in the area. The government has also instituted a judicial inquiry into the incident.
