A swell of police and rescue officials near the riverpublished at 23:49 Greenwich Mean Time 28 January
Vikas Pandey
Reporting from Prayagraj
Officials are now making desperate announcements on loudspeakers, asking people to vacate the banks after taking a holy dip in the rivers.
There is a swell of police and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) officials near the confluence.
They are constantly urging people to keep moving.
Image source, Getty Images
Security officials are urging people to keep moving
What is Kumbh Mela?published at 23:47 Greenwich Mean Time 28 January
Reports of many people feared injured at the Kumbh Mela festival in India’s Prayagraj city are coming in. Millions have been heading through to Sangam, the confluence of sacred rivers, in the city.
Held every 12 years, the Kumbh is often called the world’s largest gathering of humanity. And Wednesday is the biggest day of the festival. Officials have said up to 100 million people are expected to attend the bathing day. Hindus believe that bathing in the sacred water will cleanse them of sins and help them attain salvation.
Devotees from around the world, including ascetics, politicians and celebrities, have been participating in the festival which kicked off on 13 January and will go on until 26 February.
People are still heading to the confluencepublished at 23:36 Greenwich Mean Time 28 January
Vikas Pandey
Reporting from Prayagraj
People are still jostling to get to the confluence – the spot where three sacred rivers meet – after a crush-like situation happened at India’s Kumbh Mela.
I am on a road leading to the confluence and it’s packed. Almost everyone is now aware of the incident and are asking questions about it.
But it hasn’t deterred them from moving ahead to get to the spot.
But some families have decided to wait and not move ahead as well.
Latest images show security personnel rushing to the scenepublished at 23:34 Greenwich Mean Time 28 January
Some of the latest images coming to us show emergency services and security personel rushing to the scene amid the ongoing Kumbh festival in Prayagraj.
People can be seen draped in blankets and consoling one another.
Image source, Getty Images
Security personnel arrive at the site of surge
Image source, Getty Images
One woman was carried away by police towards an ambulance
Image source, Getty Images
A large crowd assembles around people’s belongings which have been left behind following the surge
‘Ambulances zipping past’: BBC reporter at site of crowd surge in Indiapublished at 23:33 Greenwich Mean Time 28 January
We’re hearing that many have been injured following a crush at the huge Kumbh Mela festival in Prayagraj city.
While we wait for more details, the BBC’s Vikas Pandey, who is at the scene, describes what unfolded at the world’s largest religious gathering.
‘Ambulances zipping past’: BBC reporter at site of crowd surge in India
Officials confirm crush-like situation at the festivalpublished at 23:28 Greenwich Mean Time 28 January
While we are waiting for more details on the reports of a crush at the Kumbh Mela, we are getting the first official comment from the scene.
Akanksha Rana, a mela official, told reporters that “a stampede-like situation occurred at Sangam Nose where some barriers broke. Some people were injured in the incident. No-one is serious and they are getting the required treatment”.
The “Sangam Nose” is a term typically used to describe the point where the three sacred rivers – Ganges (Ganga), Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati – converge in Prayagraj city, the site of the mela.
I’ve seen more than a dozen ambulances come out of the festivalpublished at 23:02 Greenwich Mean Time 28 January
Vikas Pandey
Reporting from Prayagraj
We have spoken to people who have confirmed that a crush-like situation happened close to the confluence of the rivers.
There is no confirmation on the number of casualties or injured – but in about 15 minutes I have counted 20 ambulances coming out of the festival.
Tens of thousands of people are still streaming into the festival and there are a few tense faces in the crowd.
Many feared injured in huge crush at religious Kumbh Mela festivalpublished at 23:00 Greenwich Mean Time 28 January
Image source, Getty Images
Many people are feared to have been injured following a crush at a huge Hindu religious festival in northern India.
The accident is believed to have happened at the Kumbh Mela festival when people who were sleeping by the riverbanks in Prayagraj were trampled by others who had taken a dip in the holy waters.
Emergency officials have been seen taking away what appears to be dead bodies on stretchers.
Stay with us and we will bring you the latest on this developing story.