Prayagraj, India. Several people are feared dead and many more injured in a stampede early Wednesday as tens of thousands of Hindus rushed to take ritual baths at the massive Maha Kumbh festival in northern India.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the incident "extremely sad" and extended his condolences without specifying the number of fatalities. "My deepest condolences to the devotees who have lost their loved ones. Along with this, I wish for the speedy recovery of all the injured," Modi posted on social media platform X.

The stampede occurred between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m. when pilgrims tried to jump over barricades set up for religious saints. Uttar Pradesh's top elected official, Yogi Adityanath, confirmed that several pilgrims were injured, some seriously, but made no mention of fatalities even eight hours after the incident. Some local news outlets reported that 10 people had died.

Families of the missing gathered outside a makeshift hospital as rescuers aided the injured, while police attempted to manage the chaotic crowds. Personal belongings like clothes, blankets, and backpacks were scattered across the stampede site. It is still unclear what triggered the panic.

"The situation is now under control, but there is a massive crowd of pilgrims," Adityanath said, noting that between 90 million and 100 million people had gathered at the site. "About 30 million people had taken the holy bath by 8 a.m. Wednesday," he added.

Wednesday marked a sacred day during the six-week festival, and authorities were expecting a record 100 million devotees to bathe at the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati rivers. Hindus believe the ritual bath will cleanse them of past sins and end the cycle of reincarnation. The main attraction is the procession of ash-smeared Hindu ascetics who head to the confluence for the sacred dip.

Despite police urging pilgrims to avoid the main confluence, millions continued to gather. Adityanath advised people to bathe at other riverbanks to avoid overcrowding.

The Maha Kumbh festival, held every 12 years, began on Jan. 13 and is the largest religious gathering in the world. Authorities expect over 400 million people to visit the pilgrimage site. Nearly 150 million have already attended, including officials like Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, and celebrities such as Chris Martin from Coldplay.

A sprawling tent city, with roads, electricity, water, 3,000 kitchens, and 11 hospitals, has been built to accommodate the visitors. Around 50,000 security personnel are stationed at the site to maintain order, and more than 2,500 cameras monitor crowd movement to prevent further incidents.

Deadly stampedes are unfortunately common at Indian religious festivals, where large crowds often gather in confined spaces. In 2013, at least 40 pilgrims died in a stampede at a train station in Prayagraj during the same festival.

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