On 10 February 2013 a stampede at a railway station in Allahabad, killed 36 passengers and injured many more. The victims were pilgrims returning from the Kumbh Mela, a 55 day Hindu festival where tens of millions of people congregate once every 12 years at the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and (mythical) Saraswati rivers for a dip in the holy waters. Unlike spontaneous mass gatherings, which are inherently conducive to stampedes, the Kumbh Mela stands out as a highly organised, well orchestrated, administrative accomplishment. What makes it less unusual are the unforeseen gaps—forged by jurisdictional blind spots—common to disaster planning everywhere