15 reported death at Stampede at New Delhi Railway Station

Fifteen people died on Saturday at Stampede at a major railway station in New Delhi.

According to Indian media reports, Atisi, the prime minister of Delhi region who uses one name, said 15 people were injured in stampede outside a hospital in the capital.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his sadness towards the deaths in a social media statement, adding that the authorities are “supporting all those affected by this st hit.” The country's railway minister, Ashwini Vaishno, said an investigation had been ordered.

Local media reports say the train station crowd swelled in front of the stampede.

“A sudden surge in passengers led to some individuals being stunned, leading to rumors of a Stampede-like situation, causing panic among travelers,” the Ministry of Railways said in a statement. It later said they ran the extra train to mitigate the crash. The ministry has also announced compensation for the families of injured and deceased people.

Starting in mid-January and ending later this month, Kumbh Mela is the world's largest religious gathering. Government estimates it is expected to attract more than 400 million people over the course of six weeks.

The festival takes place every three years in one of India's four cities. This year's event will be held in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, where the Ganges and Yamuna rivers meet. Hindus believe that a third mythical river called Saraswati will join the other two at a sacred confluence. The believers bathe in the holy land in the belief that they wash away sin.

This year's event, called the Maha Kumbh, or Great Kumbh, is larger than usual as it coincides with the celestial alignment that takes place once every 144 years.

Managing large crowds participating in the festival is a major challenge for the Indian government.

Last month, 30 pilgrims died as 30 pilgrims rushed to take a bath. In 2013, the last time Prayagraj hosted the event, 42 people died at the station there. Ten years ago, 39 followers were crushed in alleys in the western city of Nasik.

In 1954, during the first Kumbh Mela since India's independence seven years ago, hundreds of pilgrims died at Stampede.