New Delhi stampede revives old fears: A look at previous tragedies in 2004, 2010, 2012 that claimed many lives
Saturday’s stampede at New Delhi Railway Station has dredged up chilling memories of previous tragedies at the same location, raising concerns over passenger safety.
FollowSaturday’s stampede at New Delhi Railway Station has dredged up chilling memories of previous tragedies at the same location, raising concerns over passenger safety. The harrowing scenes bore an unsettling resemblance to the deadly stampedes of 2004, 2010, and 2012 - reminders of past chaos that claimed multiple lives.
Among the most haunting of these past incidents was the 2012 tragedy, where a 35-year-old woman and a 14-year-old boy died in a frenzied rush to board a Bihar-bound train. Hundreds of passengers rushed towards the platform overbridge, triggering a deadly domino effect as people stumbled and fell under the crushing weight of the crowd.
Recalling that fateful day, a former railway official explained, “The Vikramshila Express had left five minutes behind schedule at 2.50 pm from platform 12 instead of its normal platform 13. Shortly thereafter, crowds of passengers surged towards the stationary Sapth Kranti Express on platform 13, which normally leaves from platform 12.”
The last-minute platform swap led the station into chaos, as bewildered passengers, burdened with heavy luggage, scrambled between platforms, creating the perfect storm for disaster.
Another similar tragedy unfolded in May 2010, when a sudden platform change for a Patna-bound train resulted in mass panic, leaving two people dead and at least 15 others injured. The nightmare unfolded around 2.50 pm, just as the Bihar Sampark Kranti Express arrived at platform 12. With mere minutes to react, frantic passengers, lugging their belongings, pushed and shoved their way towards platform 13, triggering a deadly crush.
A stampede on November 13, 2004, left five women dead and several injured in a desperate rush to board yet another Bihar-bound train. The overbridge became a suffocating bottleneck, as terrified passengers tumbled over each other in a desperate bid to reach their trains.
The incidents expose a glaring lapse in crowd management at one of India’s busiest railway hubs. Experts warn that without urgent infrastructure upgrades and stricter safety measures, such tragedies will continue to repeat.
"Steps like expanding the width of corridors, broader overbridges, and platforms can help reduce congestion and prevent stampedes. Providing easy access to platforms through ramps and escalators can help distribute the crowd more evenly," suggested a senior railway officer.
Authorities acknowledge that last-minute platform changes during peak hours must be avoided at all costs. “The station authorities can use barriers, ropes, and crowd control gates to manage the flow of passengers. Increasing the number of staff and security personnel during peak hours can help monitor and manage crowds more effectively,” an official advised.
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