Many were feared dead after millions of Hindu pilgrims at a huge Hindu festival in India rushed to bathe in holy river waters.

A tragedy struck Maha Kumbh on the second ‘Amrit Snan’, where eight to 10 crore devotees are expected today. On the occasion of Mauni Amavasya, a stampede broke out in the wee hours of Wednesday, leading to fear of casualties.

Reuters, the news and media division of Thomson Reuters, is the world’s largest multimedia news provider, reaching billions of people worldwide every day. Reuters provides business, financial, national and international news to professionals via desktop terminals, the world's media organizations, industry events and directly to consumers.

Several people are feared dead and scores of others injured in a "stampede-like" situation at the Maha Kumbh mela in Prayagraj today. How have authorities reacted and what is the current situation? Here's what we know,

Several people were feared dead after a stampede at the Maha Kumbh Mela or Great Pitcher Festival in north India's Uttar Pradesh State on Wednesday, as tens of millions gathered to take a holy dip on the six-week long event's most significant day.

Moments before a deadly stampede at the world's biggest religious gathering in India, Hindu devotees queuing to take a spiritual bath in a river said they pleaded with police to open barricaded routes to thin out a surging crowd.

Millions of Hindu devotees gathered on Thursday (January 30) for a holy dip in the sacred river waters of India's northern city of Prayagraj as part of the Kumbh Mela, a day after a stampede at the religious festival.

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.