At least 18 people died, including 14 women and three children and over a dozen sustained injuries in a stampede that occurred on Saturday night at the New Delhi Railway station.
The incident occurred after a massive surge in passengers heading to Maha Kumbh and those waiting for the trains that had got delayed.
A two-member high-level committee has been formed to investigate the matter and determine the cause of the stampede, executive director of information & publicity at the Railway Board, Dilip Kumar said.
This comes after the recent stampede at Maha Kumbh due to sudden surge in devotees on Mauni Amavasya that led to the death of 30.
The authorities have said that the “unprecedented” rush of passengers at two platforms- 13 and 14- led to chaos and panic ultimately causing the stampede.
In an official statement, the deputy commissioner of police (railway) reported that platform number 14 was already heavily crowded as the Prayagraj Express awaited departure.
Additionally, delays in the Swatantra Senani Express and Bhubaneshwar Rajdhani Express led to an increased passenger presence on platforms 12, 13, and 14, further contributing to the congestion.
“As per CMI, every hour 1,500 general tickets were sold by railways due to which the station got overcrowded and became uncontrollable. There was a stampede at platform no. 14 and near escalator near platform no. 16,” the DCP said.
DCP KPS Malhotra elaborated that the crowd surged within 15-20 minutes after the announcement of a special train, as passengers hurried to board. “Two trains were delayed, and due to the increased footfall, the crowd grew massive. A few people sustained injuries. As of now, the situation is under control,” he had said.
An eyewitness recalled similar situation and said, “The stampede broke out around 9.30pm… When people on platform number 13 saw trains on platforms 14 and 15 – they moved towards these platforms. The platforms of the trains were not changed, but the crowd was so huge that it could not be controlled….”
One of the passengers, Dharmendra Singh, recounted his experience, stating that he was traveling to Prayagraj but faced difficulties as many trains were either delayed or canceled. “I was going to Prayagraj but many trains were running late or were cancelled. The station was overcrowded. There were far more people than I have ever seen at this station. In front of me, six or seven women were taken away on stretchers.”
Likewise, the railway ministry said, “An Unprecedented rush situation developed today at about 10 pm in New Delhi railway station near platforms 13 & 14. Some of the passengers present there on the platforms fainted due to this sudden rush further leading to the rumours of stampede like situation. This led to the spread of panic.”
The railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has ordered a high level inquiry into the incident.(Agencies)