A stampede has injured dozens of people as tens of thousands of Hindus rushed to take a holy bath in the river at the massive Maha Kumbh festival in India.

Multiple casualties were feared after a barrier broke at a Hindu religious festival, the Maha Kumbh Mela, in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday, The Hindu newspaper reported, citing news agency Press Trust of India (PTI).

Millions continued to throng the site even as police urged them to avoid the area. Deadly stampedes are relatively common around Indian religious festivals, where large crowds gather in small areas.