At least 15 people have been killed at the Love Parade electronic music festival in the German city of Duisburg, German police reported yesterday.

The deaths reportedly occurred after panic sparked a stampede at the former freight rail station where the techno music festival was being held .

Organisers of the event in the western town of Duisburg had said they expected more than a million people to attend. Duisburg police director Ralf Klauck said: "Initial information shows 10 people were killed in a mass panic by an entrance tunnel, 10 had to be resuscitated and 15 more were injured."

Unconfirmed German media reports said 100 others were injured as panic broke out and victims were crushed when authorities tried to stop thousands of people from trying to get into the parade area.

Emergency workers re­portedly had difficulty reaching those crushed.

City officials were said to have chosen not to evacuate the grounds of the day-long festival immediately, fearing it might spark more panic.

An 18-year-old festivalgoer, Raver Marius, told German newspaper Bild: "There was no escape, people were standing over me like a wall. I was afraid I'd die."

Another raver told the newspaper: "I was lucky ? I found a small gap ? but two women next to me died."