Siliguri resident falls sick during stampede

Siliguri: A resident of Siliguri fell sick during the stampede at Mahakumbh Mela while taking a holy dip in the early hours of Wednesday in Prayagraj. The man has been identified as Dinesh Pandit (42 years), a resident of Ward 12 under the Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC). He was quickly rescued and admitted to a hospital, where he is currently undergoing treatment.

According to family sources, Pandit had left for Prayagraj on Friday along with five friends to participate in the grand religious gathering.

They reached the Kumbh Mela on Tuesday morning. However, while bathing in the river on Wednesday, a stampede occurred, causing Pandit to experience breathing difficulties.

Fortunately, he survived being trampled but was separated from his companions in the chaos. Emergency responders and volunteers at the Mahakumbh quickly provided medical assistance and admitted him to the hospital. His condition is now stable and doctors have advised rest before he can travel back home.

His family, back in Siliguri, was informed of his illness via phone around 11 am. “Dinesh called me and informed me that he had been admitted to a hospital. He could not contact his other companions. We are worried,” said Hiramati Pandit, Dinesh’s mother.

“The incident has raised concerns about crowd management at the Kumbh Mela where millions of devotees gather for the sacred ritual. We hope they will return home safely,” said Rajkumar Pandit, brother of Dinesh.

However, later the family got to know that Dinesh reunited with his fellow companions and they would return to Siliguri after Dinesh’s complete recovery. Meanwhile, another woman from Siliguri went missing after the stampede.

The woman has been identified as Darshana Devi Bansal (about 70 years), a resident of Punjabi Para, Siliguri. On January 27, she went to Prayagraj with her son and daughter-in-law. By the time the report was filed, no information had been received about the woman.