New Delhi: A stampede at the New Delhi Railway Station on Saturday night resulted in at least 18 deaths and injuries to more than a dozen people. The incident occurred around 10 p.m. as large crowds gathered to board trains to Prayagraj for the Maha Kumbh Mela.
What happened?
The tragedy unfolded as massive crowds of devotees were heading to Prayagraj for the Maha Kumbh 2025 festival. The station was extremely crowded, and there was a rush to catch trains.
According to Himanshu Shekhar Upadhyay, Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) of Northern Railway, a passenger heading towards platforms 14 and 15 slipped and fell on the stairs. This caused many passengers behind him to fall, leading to the stampede.
DCP Railway KPS Malhotra explained that the stampede was mainly due to a surge in passengers combined with the delay of two trains. He noted that many people had purchased extra tickets for Prayagraj, which added to the overcrowding.
"Basically, at one point, the train was delayed, and in addition to that, there were extra tickets which people had purchased for Prayagraj...The arrival of more people during this time, along with the two delays, was the main reason for the situation," said the DCP.
Another possible reason that led to the deadly stampede was a wrong announcement regarding a special train to Kumbh, which caused passengers to rush to reserve a seat.
15 people died in New Delhi railway station stampede. If true shame on you @AshwiniVaishnaw you should resign
~ Aajtak.
pic.twitter.com/1rKsYr1DlR— Democracy Dude (@Dude4Democracy) February 15, 2025
Eyewitness Accounts
An Indian Air Force (IAF) sergeant, Ajit, who was present at the station, recounted that despite announcements and efforts to manage the crowd, people did not listen.
"We have a tri-service office at the railway station. When I was returning after my duty, I couldn't go as there was a huge crowd... I tried to convince people and also made announcements appealing to people to avoid gathering on the platform in large numbers... but no one was listening," Ajit told ANI.
Another eyewitness said the crowd was beyond control, even with administration and NDRF personnel present.
"The crowd was beyond the limit, people were gathered at the (foot over) bridge... when the crowd exceeded the limit, it wasn't possible to control them," he said.
Response and Aftermath
Following the stampede, the Delhi Police and Railway Protection Force (RPF) were quickly deployed. Fire engines were also sent to the scene. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw assured the public that the situation was under control and that special trains were being run to manage the crowd.
The Railway Board has formed a two-member high-level committee to investigate the causes of the stampede and suggest preventive measures. The Executive Director of Information & Publicity of the Railway Board, Dilip Kumar, stated that the investigation aims to determine the causes and recommend ways to prevent such incidents in the future.
The authorities temporarily blocked entry to the railway station to regain control of the situation. Dilip Kumar mentioned that the railways operated four additional special trains to manage the unusually high volume of passengers.
Distressed by the stampede at New Delhi Railway Station. My thoughts are with all those who have lost their loved ones. I pray that the injured have a speedy recovery. The authorities are assisting all those who have been affected by this stampede.— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 15, 2025
Impact
The stampede resulted in the loss of 18 lives and left many injured. The deceased have been identified. Delhi's caretaker chief minister, Atishi, said that the families of those who lost their lives have been informed.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences, saying he was "distressed by the stampede". "My thoughts are with all those who have lost their loved ones. I pray that the injured have a speedy recovery," he said on X.
The incident has raised serious concerns about crowd management at the New Delhi Railway Station. Authorities are focused on ensuring safety and preventing further chaos as the Maha Kumbh festival nears its conclusion.
With inputs from agencies
Image Source: Multiple agencies
*The views expressed are personal to the author and do not reflect the platform's opinion of the same.
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