At least 30 people have been killed in a crush at the world's largest religious gathering, the Hindu festival Kumbh Mela in northern India, officials say. The incident took place early on Wednesday when devotees on the riverbanks in the city of Prayagraj were trampled by other pilgrims rushing to take part in a sacred day of ritual bathing.

More than seven people were killed in a stampede at the Maha Kumbh Mela, or Great Pitcher Festival, in the northern Indian holy city of Prayagraj on Wednesday.

A devastating stampede at the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj claimed the lives of at least 30 pilgrims, including 62-year-old Jharkhand resident Gayatri Devi, leaving over 60 injured. The incident has cast a shadow over the religious event,