New Delhi, 29 January 2025 (dpa/MIA) - Several people are feared to have been killed when a stampede broke out at the world's largest religious festival in India early on Wednesday.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his sympathy on the platform X for the people who "have lost their family members" at the huge Hindu festival in the city of Prayagraj.

Modi did not say how many died, nor have other authorities released information on the number of dead and injured.

The India Today television channel reported that it is believed at least 10 people were killed in the crush.

Wednesday marks one of the festival's "royal bathing" days, when up to 100 million attendees were expected, according to authorities.

The Maha Kumbh Mel festival is held on the banks of the Ganges in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. The incident occurred early in the morning near the confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers.

Indian broadcaster NDTV reported that barricades set up for safety purposes collapsed amid a crowd surge, causing panic as visitors fell to the ground.

Millions of Hindu pilgrims take a dip in the holy waters where the rivers converge during the month-and-a-half-long festival. Devotees believe this ritual dip will absolve them of all sins and stop the cycle of rebirth.

Stampedes are not uncommon at India's major religious gatherings. During the 2013 Maha Kumbh Mela, 36 people were killed in a similar incident.

Photo: EPA