At least 12 feared dead in crush at India's Kumbh Mela festival

Eyewitnesses and hospital sources have reported to the BBC that at least a dozen people have been killed in a stampede at a major religious festival in northern India.

While there has been no official confirmation of the exact number of casualties or injuries, the BBC's Samira Hussain described the scene at the riverbank as "absolute chaos," with clothes, shoes, blankets, and backpacks scattered as people tried to escape.

Officials had anticipated up to 100 million attendees for the bathing ritual at Kumbh Mela, one of the world's largest religious gatherings. Despite organizers suspending the famous ritual, BBC's Vikas Pandey reports that tens of thousands are still attempting to take the holy dip.