Dozens of people were killed in a pre-dawn stampede at the Maha Kumbh Mela in northern India as tens of millions of Hindus gathered to take a dip in sacred river waters on the most auspicious day of a six-week festival.

Reuters counted 39 bodies in the morgue of the local hospital, where bodies were still being brought in 12 hours after crowds surged towards the confluence of rivers where immersion is considered especially sacred.

India's PM Modi offers condolences to victims' families after deadly stampede. – Reuters

Two police sources said all 39 had been killed in the crush at the world's biggest gathering of humanity. Three police sources confirmed a death toll of nearly 40.

"More bodies are coming in. We have nearly 40 bodies here. We are transferring them out as well and handing over to families one by one," one of the sources said at the Moti Lal Nehru Medical College hospital.

Senior police officer Vaibhav Krishna told reporters that 90 people were taken to the hospital after the stampede, of whom 30 had died.

Distraught relatives queued up to identify those killed by the stampede, which triggered calls for authorities and politicians to be held accountable.

Some witnesses spoke of a huge push that caused devotees to fall on each other, while others said closure of routes to the water brought the dense crowd to a standstill and caused people to collapse due to suffocation.

"There was commotion, everybody started pushing, pulling, climbing over one another. My mother collapsed ... then my sister-in-law. People ran over them," said Jagwanti Devi, 40, as she sat in an ambulance with the bodies of her relatives.

Saroja, who had travelled for the festival from the southern city of Belagavi and gave only her first name, blamed police for the deaths of four members of her family.

"Police didn't make proper arrangements. They are responsible for this," she wailed.

The state government praised the police, saying their "swift and effective response ... prevented a potential tragedy".

"The police acted quickly to restore order and ensure the safety of the pilgrims, significantly minimizing the situation's impact," it said in the first official statement from authorities about the stampede.

Modi offers condolences

An official at Prayagraj's SRN Hospital, where some of the injured were taken, said those who died had either suffered heart attacks or had comorbidities like diabetes.

"People came in with fractures, broken bones ... Some collapsed on the spot and were brought dead," said the official, who did not want to be named.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered condolences to "devotees who have lost their loved ones", without specifying the number of dead.

Yogi Adityanath, chief minister of Uttar Pradesh state where the festival city of Prayagraj is located, said the stampede was set off when some devotees tried to jump barricades put up to manage crowds.

In the aftermath, some people sat on the ground crying, while others stepped over belongings left by those trying to escape the crush.

Opposition parties blame 'mismanagement' 

The Hindu festival is expected to draw some 400 million people overall, according to officials, compared with the Haj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia which drew 1.8 million last year.

Nearly 200 million people had attended the festival since it started two weeks ago, officials said, adding that more than 57 million people had taken a holy dip until 4pm (1030 GMT).

Devout Hindus believe going into the water at the confluence of three sacred rivers – the Ganga, the Yamuna, and the mythical, invisible Saraswati – absolves people of sins and, during the Kumbh, also brings salvation from the cycle of life and death.

Indian authorities scale up security after fatal stampede at Kumbh Mela. – Reuters

Attendees this year ranged from Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Home Minister Amit Shah to Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani and celebrities like Coldplay's Chris Martin.

Authorities had expected a record 100 million people to throng the temporary township in Prayagraj, and had deployed additional security and medical personnel along with AI-software-based technology to manage the crowd.

A Rapid Action Force (RAF) – a special police unit called in during crisis – was deployed after the stampede with devotees entering the water first and ascetics beginning their processions only after devotee numbers reduced.

Scores of ascetics, smeared in holy ash or wearing saffron, moved towards the confluence as security personnel and dense crowds of devotees looked on and helicopters showered petals from above.

A devotee looks on after the deadly stampede. – Reuters

Opposition parties blamed the stampede on what they called the government's "mismanagement" and "VIP culture".

"VIP culture should be curbed and the government should make better arrangements to meet the needs of common devotees," Rahul Gandhi, leader of main opposition Congress party, said on X, referring to politicians and celebrities being treated differently.

A similar stampede on the most auspicious day of the festival when it was last held in 2013 had killed at least 36 pilgrims.

What caused the stampede?

Security personnel assist a person after the stampede. – Reuters

Here are some details about the incident and the situation on the ground.

When

The stampede occurred between 1am and 2am (1930 - 2030 GMT) as tens of millions gathered at the confluence of holy rivers in Prayagraj city to take a 'holy dip' in the waters on the festival's most auspicious day.

Where 

The incident occurred in the 4000 hectare (9900 acres) temporary city near the arena for ascetics on the 'Akhada Marg' (Arena Road) that is used by the ascetics to go in a procession to the river.

What happened 

The stampede occurred when several devotees tried to jump the barricades put up to manage the crowds during the ascetics' holy dip, officials said.

Some witnesses spoke of routes to the water being closed, bringing the large crowd to a standstill and causing some people to collapse due to suffocation, while others began pushing, pulling, and climbing over them in an effort to escape.

Others spoke of a huge push from the back that left them wedged between barricades on one side and police personnel wielding batons on the other.

An official at a hospital where some of the injured were rushed said several victims had fractures and broken bones, and some of those who died had suffered heart attacks.

The crowd 

A "large number" of people began descending upon Prayagraj in evening as the most auspicious day of the festival – which saw almost 200 million attendees in its first two weeks – approached.

More than 57 million people had taken a dip by 4pm local time (1030 GMT), officials said, and although the situation was eventually brought under control, the crowd remained "massive".

Controlling the situation 

Additional security has been deployed, including a special police unit trained to manage crisis situations, and police are regulating entry into the city to control the crowd.

Authorities also streamlined the rituals, facilitating dips for devotees first, with ascetics starting their processions, which took place on a smaller scale than planned, only after the number of other attendees had come down.

How India manages the festival

A man climbs over a fence after the deadly stampede. – Reuters

Here is a look at how authorities have been managing the mammoth crowds at the six-week festival that began on January 13 and is set to be the world's largest gathering of humanity, with 400 million visitors expected in the northern city of Prayagraj.

Tent city 

A temporary city has sprung up across 4000 hectares (9990 acres) on the river banks – the size of 7500 football fields – with 150,000 tents to accommodate devotees and almost an equal number of toilets.

About 69,000 LED and solar lights illuminate the paths through the settlement, kept clean by 15,000 sanitation workers.

Security 

Temporary police stations and checkpoints in Prayagraj include three floating 'water police stations' on the river, while paramilitary troops and bomb disposal squads are also at the ready.

More than 50,000 personnel are on guard to ensure the safety of visitors.

Technology 

Authorities are using closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras, drones, and tethered drones to monitor the festival area, along with anti-drone craft to find and remove unauthorised drones.

Also in use are underwater drones that can operate to a depth of 100 metres (3330 feet), equipped with advanced technology to function in low-light conditions.

Fire safety 

Every tent has been fitted with fire-fighting equipment, while more than 1.3 billion rupees (US$15 million) has been designated for fire safety in the festival area, with 351 firefighting vehicles and 2000 trained personnel on hand to immediately stamp out any fires.

A large fire broke out in some tents on January 19, but the blaze was quickly brought under control and no one was injured.

Lost and found centres 

To help reunite families separated in the crowd, centres with dedicated sections for women and children have been set up, while loudspeakers installed along the river banks will make continuous announcements about those separated.

Authorities are also using state of the art facial recognition technology and images from nearly 3000 CCTV cameras to trace missing people.