At least 16 people were killed in a stampede that broke out when massive crowds had gathered near the Ganges for a religious event here Tuesday, organisers said.

Several others were injured in the incident at the "Yagyashala" just before noon, Divesh Vyas, spokesperson of the Gayatri Parivar, told IANS.

"There was a bottleneck," he said. "Most people died due to suffocation."