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.

The previous record for the highest single-day attendance at the Kumbh was set in 2019, when 50 million devotees participated in the sacred event. To accommodate the massive influx of pilgrims, Indian Railways more than doubled train services, operating 360 special trains from various parts of the country.