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Many deaths are feared and over 30 pilgrims were injured when a stampede-like situation unfolded at the Maha Kumbh on the morning of Mauni Amavasya, considered the most significant ritual of the Maha Kumbh.
As crores of devotees streamed into the tent city of Uttar Pradesh, barricades about a kilometre away from the Sangam -- the point where the Ganga, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati rivers meet -- broke, leading to some women to faint. A stampede-like situation broke out when the unconscious women fell.
"Suddenly there was pushing in the crowd, and we got trapped. A lot of us fell down and the crowd went uncontrolled," a devotee told the news agency PTI while narrating her harrowing experience.
A woman, whose child suffered injuries in the chaos, claimed "There was nowhere to go".
The incident led to the Akharas calling off their traditional 'Amrit Snan' or holy dip for Mauni Amavasya.
Millions of pilgrims, who had turned up for 'Amrit Snan', continued to take a dip at Sangam and other ghats in the Mela area.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi reviewed the situation in a call with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and called for immediate support measures.
Dubbed the world's largest spiritual gathering, the Maha Kumbh, being held after 12 years, kicked off in Prayagraj on January 13 and will continue till February 26.
The Sangam is considered the holiest by Hindus, with a belief that taking a dip in it during Maha Kumbh and particularly on special bathing dates like Mauni Amavasya washes away people's sins and provides them 'moksha' or salvation.
More than 20 crore pilgrims have so far taken a dip.