India reported 1,84,372 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, marking a sharp rise in daily case count, as per data released by the Ministry of Health on Wednesday.

In the past 24 hours, 1,027 people died due to the highly infectious virus.

The country has so far registered 14 million cases.

Haridwar, the pilgrim town abutting the Ganga river in Uttarakhand state, reported 1000 Covid cases in two days amid Kumbh Mela, the 12-years bathing festival held sacred Hindus. Uttarakhand logged 1,925 new cases with 13 deaths in the last 24 hours.

Devotees continue to assemble at the ghats of Haridwar even as the country recorded massive cases amid a more severe second wave of Covid infections.

Many states are also running out of vaccine stocks, oxygen supplies and beds for patients, India Blooms said. 

Nearly a million people have thronged the banks of river to participate in the bathing festival that Hindus believe will wash away sins and deliver salvation.