Many feared dead after stampede at Maha Kumbh Hindu festival in northern India

Images from the scene in the city of Prayagraj, in Uttar Pradesh state, show bodies being stretchered away and rescuers helping those who were hurt.

Millions of people were attempting to take a holy bath in the river at the massive Maha Kumbh festival when there was an initial stampede at 1am local time (1930 UK time).

Authorities said people trying to escape it were then caught in a second - and more serious - stampede at an exit.

Devotees had congregated to bathe at the confluence of the Ganges, the Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati rivers.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spoken to the chief minister for Uttar Pradesh state, Yogi Adityanath, calling for "immediate support measures", according to the ANI news agency.

Authorities had expected a record 100 million people to visit Prayagraj for the Maha Kumbh - "festival of the Sacred Pitcher" - on Wednesday for the holy dip.

It is regarded as a significant day for Hindus, due to a rare alignment of celestial bodies after 144 years.

The Maha Kumbh festival, which is held every 12 years, started on 13 January and is the world's largest religious gathering.

Organisers had forecast that more than 400 million people would attend the pilgrimage site over the next six weeks.

Authorities have built a sprawling tent city on the riverbanks, equipped with 3,000 kitchens and 150,000 toilets and 11 hospitals.

Stampedes are relatively common around Indian religious festivals, where large crowds can gather in small areas.

-SKY NEWS