Prayagraj: 10 Maha Kumbh devotees killed in car-bus crash

In Uttar Pradesh, at least 10 people, all of whom were devotees from Chhattisgarh, traveling to the Maha Kumbh Mela, died after their Bolero collided with a bus on the Mirzapur-Prayagraj highway. The crash, which took place around midnight, also left 19 others injured. The devotees, all from Korba, Chhattisgarh, were traveling to the Sangam for a holy dip. The bus involved in the collision also carried pilgrims from Rajgarh, Madhya Pradesh. "The bodies have been taken to Swaroop Rani Medical Hospital for post-mortem. Further investigation is going on," Prayagraj Additional SP Vivek Chandra Yadav said.

VIDEO | At least 10 people have been killed and several injured in a head-on collision between a car and a bus in Prayagraj. More details awaited.

(Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/n147TvqRQz) pic.twitter.com/06t5TkNd4m

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Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath directed officials to reach the accident site and ensure that relief and rescue efforts were carried out. He also instructed authorities to provide medical treatment to the injured. The state administration is monitoring road safety measures, especially during the Maha Kumbh Mela, which has seen millions of devotees arriving in Prayagraj. The Maha Kumbh Mela, one of the largest religious gatherings, began on January 13 and will continue until February 26, coinciding with Maha Shivratri. According to the Uttar Pradesh government, as of Friday at 6 pm, over 9.2 million devotees had taken a holy dip at the Sangam, pushing the total footfall past 500 million.