New Delhi Railway Station stampede: A fatal stampede took place at the New Delhi Railway Station after the sudden rise of the Mahakumbh rush late Saturday night. At least 18 people were killed and more than a dozen injured in the stampede that broke out at the railway station.
What triggered the stampede?
The stampede was preceded by a swell in crowd of passengers waiting to board trains to Prayagraj on platform numbers 14 and 15 of the station. People in large numbers rushed to the railway station to go to the Mahakumbh, underway in Prayagraj.
What eyewitnesses said?
Eyewitnesses said a huge rush at the station led to the stampede with several passengers fainting because of suffocation.
In an official statement, the deputy commissioner of police (railway) said platform number 14 was already very crowded when the Prayagraj Express train was waiting there for its departure.
The officer said Swatantra Senani Express and Bhubaneshwar Rajdhani Express were delayed and the passengers of these trains were also present on platform numbers 12, 13 and 14.
Every hour 1,500 general tickets were sold
"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.
The stampede broke out around 9.55 pm, prompting an emergency response from authorities.
One of the victims told reporters that his mother had died in the stampede. He said, "We were travelling to our home in Chhapra, Bihar, in a group, but my mother lost her life in the chaos. People were pushing each other."
He added, "The doctor has confirmed to us that my mother has died."
Another family member of the deceased, a woman, collapsed in grief. Authorities dispatched rescue teams and four fire tenders were rushed to the site, Delhi Fire Services (DFS) chief Atul Garg said.
Northern Railway's Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) Himanshu Upadhyay earlier said that passengers pushed each other, which caused injuries to some of them. They were taken to hospitals for first aid, he said.
Acting Chief Minister Atishi told reporters that 15 people had been brought dead at LNJP Hospital. All but two of them were identified. Almost 15 people are injured and they are undergoing treatment, she said.
PM Modi condoles the demises
Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a post on X condoled the deaths. "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," the prime minister said.
Delhi LG VK Saxena grieved the deaths in a post on X, but later edited it, removing the bits where he mentioned the deaths.
In his original post, Saxena said there was an "unfortunate and tragic" incident of "loss of lives and injuries" due to "disorder and stampede" at the New Delhi Railway Station.
"My deepest condolences to the families of victims of this tragedy."
However, after about 15 minutes Saxena edited his post to delete the reference to deaths. No explanation was given. Singh's post remains as it is.
(With PTI inputs)