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© APAllahabad, India, where Hindu devotees bathe at Sangam, the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna and Saraswati rivers during the Kumbh Mela
Many feared dead and dozens injured after footbridge collapses in northern Indian city hosting Hindu Kumbh Mela festival

At least 10 people are feared dead and dozens injured in a stampede at a train station in the northern Indian city of Allahabad, where millions of Hindus had gathered for a religious festival.

The New Delhi Television channel reported that the stampede broke out after a footbridge at the station collapsed on Sunday with at least 10 people feared dead. The CNN-IBN news channel said at least 20 had been killed. There was no immediate confirmation from any local officials.

Some 30 million devotees had been expected to take a dip at the Sangam, the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna and Saraswati rivers, on one of the holiest bathing days of the Kumbh Mela.

The 55-day festival is one of the world's largest religious gatherings and attracts millions of worshipers. The bathing days are decided by the alignment of stars, and Hindus believe a dip in sacred waters on one of these days will wash away their sins and free them from the cycle of death and rebirth.

The Kumbh Mela, which celebrates the victory of gods over demons in a battle over immortality-giving nectar, is held four times every 12 years in Allahabad, Nasik, Ujjain and Haridwar.

Source: Associated Press