15 dead in India after stampede at Hindu festival

A stampede at the world's largest religious gathering in India killed at least 15 people with many more injured, a doctor at the Kumbh Mela festival in Prayagraj told AFP Wednesday.

"At least 15 people have died for now. Others are being treated," said the doctor in Prayagraj city, speaking on condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to talk to media, AFP reports.

An AFP photographer saw rescuers and worshippers evacuating victims from the scene and people climbing over a barrier.

Local government official Akanksha Rana told the Press Trust of India (PTI) news agency that the stampede began after crowd control barriers "broke".

The six-week festival is the single biggest milestone on the Hindu religious calendar, and millions of people were expected to be present on Wednesday for a sacred day of ritual bathing at the confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers.