Grieving families in India are cremating their loved ones while others are caring for their injured relatives in hospitals a day after a stampede.

The driver was believed to have a pistol in their vehicle when law enforcement first made contact, police said.

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

Between 90 to 100 million pilgrims had congregated to take ritual baths in sacred rivers at a festival in northern India.

People were trampled as pilgrims at the Maha Kumbh Mela, one of the world’s biggest gatherings, gathered where the Ganges and Yamuna Rivers meet, officials said.

A stampede killed at least people as millions of Hindus rushed to take their holy bath in the waters of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers. View on euronews

The Hindu festival that turned deadly in northern India on Wednesday is a religious gathering with deep spiritual meaning for devotees who come by the millions to take a cleansing dip in waters they consider sacred.

From lazy strolls through ancient alleys to sacred rituals along the Ganges, Varanasi in winter promises memories of a lifetime.

After a crowd crush killed dozens of people at the world's largest religious gathering, questions have been raised about security and crowd control at massive events in India.

Yogi Adityanath-led UP government was left red faced after a stampede at Kumbh Mela, a widely publicised event by the BJP, left at least 30 dead and over 60 injured.

Dozens of people were killed in a pre-dawn stampede at the Maha Kumbh Mela in northern India yesterday as tens of millions of Hindus gathered to take a dip in sacred river waters on the most auspicious day of a six-week festival.