At least 40 people have been killed in a stampede after a barrier broke at a Hindu religious festival, the Maha Kumbh Mela, in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday, The Hindu newspaper reported, citing news agency Press Trust of India (PTI).
A barrier broke during a holy bath in the city of Prayagraj injuring several devotees in a "stampede-like" incident, the report said.
The Maha Kumbh Mela or Great Pitcher Festival is the world's largest single gathering of humanity and is held every 12 years.
"Some people have got injured and have been hospitalised after a barrier broke at the Sangam. We are yet to have the exact count of those injured," Akanksha Rana, a state government official, was quoted telling the PTI in The Hindu report.
The Maha Kumbh Mela religious event attracts more than 400 million visitors over six weeks, both Indians and tourists. The Kumbh has the prefix maha (great) as its timing renders it more auspicious and it attracts the largest crowds.
