Between 90 to 100 million pilgrims had congregated to take ritual baths in sacred rivers at a festival in northern India.

The late release of casualty figures at the gathering of millions of people was seen as shielding the political fortunes of a local leader with national aspirations.

Probe ordered after 30 deaths at world’s largest religious festival in India - Indian authorities have released an official statement on the death toll but it is expected to rise

It was not immediately clear what triggered the panic at the festival where devotees from across India had congregated to bathe at the confluence of the Ganges, the Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati rivers.

People were trampled as pilgrims at the Maha Kumbh Mela, one of the world’s biggest gatherings, gathered where the Ganges and Yamuna Rivers meet.

Dozens of people were killed in a crowd crush at the world’s largest religious gathering in India early Wednesday, as tens of millions of devotees went to bathe in a river on one of the most sacred days of a Hindu festival.

Millions continued to throng the site even as police urged them to avoid the area. Deadly stampedes are relatively common around Indian religious festivals, where large crowds gather in small areas.

The northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh is a spiritual and architectural powerhouse. From the sacred Ganges in Varanasi to the historic structures of Lucknow, our five-day tour itinerary will take you on a journey through some of the most iconic sites.

Following the massive footfall at Mahakumbh 2025, Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria said that ever since man has settled on the earth and the Ganges has started flowing in the country, bathing in it is considered the most sacred.

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Though there was no official confirmation, local media reports suggested at least 17 people had died and more than 50 were injured in the stampede that occurred at Prayagraj district of Uttar Pradesh during the ongoing 45-day religious and spiritual congregation called "Maha Kumbh".