Dozens killed in stampede at India’s Kumbh Mela

At least 30 people have been killed in a pre-dawn crush at a Hindu festival in northern India on Wednesday, Indian police said.

Dozens more were reported injured in the stampede at the Maha Kumbh Mela, the world’s largest religious gathering, where tens of millions of people had gathered to bathe in sacred river waters.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered condolences to “devotees who have lost their loved ones.”

The stampede began as crowds surged to a place that sees the confluence of three rivers where immersion is considered especially sacred, Reuters reported. The news agency cited an official in the state of Uttar Pradesh who said some people had sought to jump barricades set up to manage crowds.