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.

With the Nashik Kumbh Mela in 2027 expected to draw lakhs of devotees, multiple challenges lie ahead for the administration.

Officials had been preparing for months for the world’s largest religious festival, with around 400 million Hindu pilgrims expected to take part

In a social media post on X, Modi said the local administration was engaged in helping the victims in every possible way and he was constantly in touch with the state government.

At least 30 people have been killed and dozens more injured in crowd crushes at the Maha Kumbh Mela in India, where millions have gathered to bathe at the confluence of sacred rivers.

A deadly stampede at the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, India, resulted in over seven fatalities and around 10 injuries. The incident occurred on the festival's most important day as millions gathered for a holy dip.

At least seven people were killed and around 10 injured in a pre-dawn stampede at the Maha Kumbh Mela in the northern Indian city of Prayagraj on Wednesday, an official said, the most auspicious day of the six-week Great Pitcher Festival.

Many were feared dead after millions of Hindu pilgrims at a huge Hindu festival in India rushed to bathe in holy river waters.