( CNN ) -- A railroad station crush left 36 people dead Sunday among tens of millions of Hindu pilgrims flocking to the banks of the Ganges River for the world 's largest religious gathering , authorities reported . The stampede occurred about 7 p.m. after someone fell from a platform bridge in Allahabad , the scene of this year 's Kumbh Mela festival , North-Central Railway spokesman Sandeep Mathur said . He said the station was overcrowded with pilgrims , but denied reports that the bridge had collapsed . In addition to the 36 killed , more than 30 people were injured in the stampede , according to Mathur . Earlier , 10 people were reported dead . An estimated 40 million people came to Allahabad , in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh , on Sunday to bathe at the confluence of the Yamuna and Ganges rivers and the mythical Saraswati River . It 's the most significant Hindu pilgrimage , occurring every 12 years , Indian cultural and political observer K. G. Suresh said . `` The Hindus believe that a dip in the confluence of the Ganges , Yamuna and the Saraswati on this occasion helps get rid of all worldly sins , '' Suresh said . Sunday was the main day for bathing of the 55-day Kumbh Mela . In Hindu mythology , Allahabad is one of the four places where drops of the `` nectar of immortality '' contained in a pitcher fell to earth as gods and demons fought for it . The holy bathing began on Saturday afternoon and peaked after midnight , festival official Satish Kumar Sharma said . More than 12,000 police officers were guarding the nearly 20-square-kilometer ( 7.7-square-mile ) site , India 's government said . Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said he was `` deeply shocked '' by the deaths and promised to extend `` all possible help '' to state authorities . `` I send my heartfelt condolences to the members of the bereaved families and wish those injured a speedy recovery , '' Singh said in a statement issued by his office . He pledged that those injured and the families of those killed would receive compensation .
NEW : In addition to the dead , over 30 were hurt in Allahabad , a railway spokesman says . The rail station stampede mars the world 's largest religious festival . An estimated 40 million Hindu pilgrims came to bathe in the Ganges River . India 's prime minister says he 's `` deeply shocked '' by the deaths .