Maha Kumbh rush and train delays: What led to stampede at New Delhi railway station that claimed lives of 18?

New Delhi Railway station stampede: At least 18 people, including 14 women and three children, lost their lives, and over a dozen were injured in a stampede at New Delhi Railway Station on Saturday (Feb 15) night.

New Delhi: At least 18 people, including 14 women and three children, lost their lives, and over a dozen others sustained injuries in a stampede at New Delhi Railway Station on Saturday (Feb 15) night. The incident occurred as a massive surge of passengers, including those traveling for the Maha Kumbh and others waiting for delayed trains, overwhelmed the station.

Executive Director of Information & Publicity at the Railway Board, Dilip Kumar, stated that a two-member high-level committee has been formed to investigate the cause of the tragedy.

This incident follows a recent stampede at the Maha Kumbh during Mauni Amavasya, which resulted in the deaths of 30 devotees due to an unexpected surge in the crowd.

What led to the massive rush that triggered the stampede?

The authorities attributed the "unprecedented" rush of passengers at platforms 13 and 14 to the chaos and panic that ultimately led to the stampede.

According to an official statement by the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Railway), platform 14 was already overcrowded as the Prayagraj Express awaited departure. Additionally, delays in the Swatantra Senani Express and Bhubaneswar Rajdhani Express caused a further surge of passengers on platforms 12, 13, and 14, worsening the congestion and contributing to the tragedy.

"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 as quoted by Times of India. 

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.

Passenger Dharmendra Singh shared his harrowing experience, stating that he was traveling to Prayagraj but encountered difficulties due to multiple train delays and cancellations.

"I was heading to Prayagraj, but many trains were either running late or had been canceled. The station was extremely overcrowded—far more packed than I’ve ever seen before. Right in front of me, six or seven women were carried away on stretchers," he recalled.

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."