New Delhi:

“Meri ladki ke kila ghus gaya (a nail pierced my daughter’s head),” said a man, whose 7-year-old daughter was among the 18 who died during a stampede at the New Delhi Railway Station late on Saturday when surging crowds scrambled to catch trains to UP’s Prayagraj to visit Maha Kumbh, the world’s largest religious gathering.

“14 number platform se neeche utare, lekin bheed dekh ke wapas aane lage, maine kaha bheed jyada hai, chalo ghar chalte hain, bachho ko leke nahi jaate, chote chote bacche hain kya karenge, sone ko bhi nahi hai (We got down from platform number 14, but seeing the crowd we started coming back. I said there is too much crowd, let’s go home, we should not take the children along, what will we do with the little ones. They don’t even have anything to sleep on,” Opil Singh, who had a confirmed ticket and was headed to Maha Kumbh with his family, told NDTV. Follow New Delhi Railway Station Stampede LIVE UPDATES here

The Kumbh Mela attracts tens of millions of devotees every 12 years to the city of Prayagraj. The rush at the train station in New Delhi appeared to break out Saturday as crowds struggled to board trains for the ongoing event, which will end on February 26.

“Jaise upar chadne lage, 6 jeena bache the, beech main meri beti phas gayi. Upar se jaise 5,000-6,000 hazaar aadmi neeche aane lage na toh log ek ke upar ek girte chale gaye, logon ko sambhalne ka mauka nahi mila. Meri ladki ke kila ghus gaya…khoon andar jam gaya, poora kala pad gaya (We started climbing up, there were just six more steps left when my daughter got stuck in the middle. Around 5,000-6,000 people began coming down from above. People started falling over each other. A nail pierced my daughter’s head,” said Mr Singh, a native of Unnao in UP, putting his finger to his head, enacting what happened, as words failed him.

Seven-year-old Riya enjoying herself at a wedding (File)

Northern Railway’s chief public relations officer (CPRO) Himanshu Upadhyay said at the time of the incident, the Patna-bound Magadh Express was standing at platform number 14 and the New Delhi-Jammu Uttar Sampark Kranti Express was stationed at platform number 15.

The stampede occurred on foot-overbridges connecting platforms 14 and 15 at New Delhi railway station when some passengers slipped while descending, causing panic and a deadly crush, a senior railway official said.

“Meri itni achhi beti thi (I had such a good daughter),” said the 35-year-old, fighting back tears. He then proceeded to show a picture of his daughter, Riya, with him on his mobile, the cracks and scratches visible on its glass screen.

The seven-year-old Riya

Asked if he received any help from the authorities, Mr Singh, who works as a labourer in Delhi, said there was just one policeman who kept blowing into his whistle.

“Beti jab mili na toh koi ambulance nahi thi, hum auto main leke bhage. Do coolie the, unhone 100, 100 rupaye madad kiya, meri jeb se mobile, paise sab nikal liye kisi ne (“When I found my daughter, there was no ambulance, we went in an auto. There were two coolies, they helped me with Rs 100 each. Someone took away my mobile and all the money from my pocket,” said Mr Singh.

As soon as the man reached the hospital, the doctors declared the girl dead on arrival.

“Aap thodi der pehle aaye hote (If only you could have come a little sooner),” Mr Singh said quoting what a doctor at the Kalawati Hospital told him.

When told that the Railways has announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the families who have lost a loved one, Mr Singh said, “10 lakh se meri beti toh nahi aa sakti (Rs 10 lakh won’t bring back my daughter).”

New Delhi:

A stampede occurred at New Delhi Railway Station, resulting in the loss of 15 lives on Saturday. The incident happened around 10 pm when thousands of devotees were heading to Prayagraj for the Maha Kumbh 2025 festival, causing severe overcrowding at the station.

An eyewitness, an Indian Air Force (IAF) sergeant on Sunday recounted that despite announcements and efforts to convince people to avoid gathering in large numbers, the crowd remained unmanageable. He said the administration attempted to control the crowd, but people didn’t listen.

Speaking to the news agency ANI, Ajit said, “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. The administration was working hard to prevent any mishap, but no one was listening… I also helped the injured people with the help of one of my friends.”

Another eyewitness recounted the horror, saying that the crowd was beyond the limit.

“The crowd was beyond the limit, people were gathered at the (foot over) bridge… Such a huge crowd wasn’t expected. I have never seen such a massive crowd at the railway station, even during the festivals. People from the administration and even NDRF personnel were there, but when the crowd exceeded the limit, it wasn’t possible to control them,” he said.

One of the victim’s brothers at the LNJP hospital, who lost his sister in the stampede, said, “We were 12 people going to Maha Kumbh. We hadn’t even reached the platform but were at the stairs… My family, including my sister, were stuck in the crowd. We found her after half an hour, and by the time she was dead.”

Another eyewitness described the chaos, stating that the crowd came from both sides after an announcement about a train platform change, leading to the stampede.

“There was no one to control the crowd… It was announced that the train coming on platform number 12 would come on platform number 16. So the crowd came from both sides and a stampede occurred…some people were taken to the hospital…,” he said.

Delays in train departures and the sale of around 1,500 general tickets exacerbated the situation and contributed to the overwhelming crowd.

Among the affected passengers, Pappu, a resident of Bihar’s Patna, shared his grief, saying, “My mother died in the stampede. We were on our way home.”

NDRF Commandant Daulat Ram Chaudhary confirmed that the situation was now under control. “…The situation is under control now. The injured have been evacuated…We received information about a stampede at platform no. 14 at the station… We are carrying out the rescue operations…”

DCP Railway KPS Malhotra stated that while the authorities had anticipated a large crowd, the incident unfolded within moments.

“We expected the crowd, but it all happened in a fraction of time, and hence this situation occurred. The fact-finding will be done by the Railways… After inquiry, we will get to know the reason behind the incident,” he told ANI.

Meanwhile, the Railway Board, on Sunday, informed that a two-member high-level committee had been formed to investigate the matter and determine the cause of the stampede at New Delhi railway station.

“A two-member high-level committee has been formed to investigate the matter… The situation is under control, and the passengers have been sent by special train… Train movement at the railway station is normal now,” Dilip Kumar, Executive Director of Information & Publicity (ED/IP), Railway Board.

According to Mr Kumar, the station was experiencing an unusually high volume of passengers, prompting the railways to operate four additional special trains to manage the crowd.

To regain control of the situation, entry to the railway station was temporarily blocked.

“The number of passengers was relatively very high today at the New Delhi railway station, and so we ran four more special trains. We received information that a few people fainted – they have been admitted to a local hospital. We blocked entry to the railway station for a while, but the situation is under control now,” added Mr Kumar.

According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Railway, KPS Malhotra, the incident occurred when a large number of passengers gathered on platform no. 14, where the Prayagraj Express was stationed. Additionally, delays in the departures of Swatantrata Senani Express and Bhubaneshwar Rajdhani led to further congestion at platforms 12, 13, and 14.

New Delhi:

At least 15 people, including 10 women and three children, died after a sudden rush of passengers caused by two trains for the Maha Kumbh being delayed led to an overcrowding situation at the New Delhi railway station on Saturday night, officials said. 

The deaths were confirmed by the chief casualty medical officer of the LNJP hospital in Delhi. Officials said 10 women, three children and two men died in the incident. The Railways has ordered an inquiry and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed grief over the incident.

The chaotic situation developed around 8 pm on platform numbers 14 and 15 of the station as passengers were waiting to board trains to Prayagraj.  

Officials said additional security forces have been deployed to control the situation at the railway station and four fire engines were also rushed to the spot. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the situation is under control.

“Situation under control at New Delhi railway station (NDLS). Delhi Police and RPF (railway police force) reached. Injured taken to hospital. Special trains being run to evacuate sudden rush,” the minister posted on X.

Situation under control at New Delhi railway station (NDLS)
Delhi Police and RPF reached. Injured taken to hospital. Special trains being run to evacuate sudden rush.

— Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) February 15, 2025

Railway authorities urged people not to believe rumours of a stampede. 

While no deaths were confirmed by the Railway authorities initially, Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh spoke about a loss of lives. Mr Saxena and the minister also called the incident a stampede. 

“There has been an unfortunate and tragic incident of loss of lives and injuries due to disorder & stampede at New Delhi Railway Station. My deepest condolences to the families of victims of this tragedy. Have spoken to Chief Secretary & Police Commissioner and asked them to address and redress the situation,” Mr Saxena posted on X.

There has been an unfortunate and tragic incident of loss of lives and injuries due to disorder & stampede at New Delhi Railway Station. My deepest condolences to the families of victims of this tragedy.

Have spoken to Chief Secretary & Police Commissioner and asked them to…

— LG Delhi (@LtGovDelhi) February 15, 2025

“CS has been asked to invoke DDMA (disaster management) measures & deploy relief personnel. All hospitals are in readiness to address related exegencies. Have instructed CS & CP to be at the site and take control of relief measures. I am constantly monitoring operations,” he added.

Mr Saxena later modified the post to remove references to loss of lives as well as a stampede.

Defence Minister Singh wrote, “Devastating news from New Delhi Railway Station. I am extremely pained by the loss of lives due to stampede on Railway platform (sic). In this hour of grief, my thoughts are with the bereaved families. Praying for the speedy of the injured.”

Devastating news from New Delhi Railway Station. I am extremely pained by the loss of lives due to stampede on Railway platform. In this hour of grief, my thoughts are with the bereaved families. Praying for the speedy of the injured.

— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) February 15, 2025

Videos showed a massive crowd at the platform as a train rolled in. Officials said there was a rush to board the train as well as panic when passengers realised that not all of them would be able to get in. In the videos, at least two people were also seen lying unconscious as others tried to resuscitate them. There were also reports of jostling due to crowding near escalators. 

“When the Prayagraj Express was on platform number 14, many people were present there. The Swatatantra Senani Express and Bhubaneswar Rajdhani (both of which pass through Prayagraj) were delayed and passengers of these trains were also present on platforms 12, 13 and 14,” said a police official. 

Condoling the loss of lives, PM Modi posted on X, “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.”

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

Rush Of Devotees

Special trains for the Maha Kumbh have been witnessing ever larger crowds with the festival, which is held only once every 12 years, set to end on February 26. Earlier this week, some passengers at Bihar’s Madhubani railway station broke the glass windows of the Swatantrata Senani Express – which goes to Delhi via Prayagraj – after they were unable to board the train.

Similar incidents related to trains heading to Prayagraj have also been reported from other railway stations in Bihar and police cases have been registered.

Former Delhi chief minister Atishi attacked the Centre over the chaos at the New Delhi railway station. Earlier in the day, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav urged the Centre to extend the duration of the Maha Kumbh to ease the rush of devotees who are hoping to take a dip at the Sangam. 

“Even now, many people want to go to Maha Kumbh but cannot. In such a situation, the government should extend the time limit of Maha Kumbh,” Mr Yadav said, pointing out that the Maha Kumbh lasted for 75 days earlier but is ending sooner this time. The last day of the Maha Kumbh, February 26, is Maha Shivratri.