Ramgarh:

A man allegedly locked his ailing mother at home in Jharkhand’s Ramgarh district and went to Prayagraj for a holy dip in Maha Kumbh along with his wife, children and in-laws, police said on Thursday.

The police rescued the 65-year-old mother from a quarter of Central Coalfields Limited (CCL) in Subhash Nagar colony under Ramgarh police station limit on Wednesday.

The woman was locked in the home since Monday and survived on Chura (flattened rice). The neighbours came to know about her when she cried in hunger for help, police said.

Ramgarh Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Parmeshwar Prasad said, “The elderly woman, identified as Sanju Devi, was locked by her son, Akhilesh Kumar, in his CCL quarter since Monday. Kumar along with his family went to Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj. She was rescued on Wednesday after her daughter informed police.” He said that Kumar is a CCL employee.

Mr Kumar informed police that his mother was unwell and they came to Prayagraj after making all arrangements for her food and drink, another police officer said.

The woman’s daughter Chandni Devi, who resides around five kilometres away from the CCL quarter in Kahubera, said that she got the information about her mother over phone from neighbours.

“Police rescued her after breaking the lock. The neighbours immediately gave her food. She was also given medicines and admitted to CCL hospital,” Devi told reporters.

Ms Devi said her brother Akhilesh Kumar got a job in CCL on compassionate ground and he has been working as Shovel operator in Argada area of CCL in Ramgarh district. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Prayagraj:

The Uttar Pradesh Police Wednesday said it has registered cases against two social media accounts for allegedly posting and selling objectional videos of women pilgrims bathing at the Maha Kumbh.

The action was taken under the directives of Uttar Pradesh police chief Prashant Kumar as part of an ongoing crackdown against misleading and offensive social media content related to the religious gathering.

The social media monitoring team detected that certain platforms were uploading videos of women bathing and changing clothes at the Kumbh in clear violation of their privacy and dignity, the police said in a statement, Following this, cases were registered at the Kotwali Kumbh Mela police station and legal proceedings have been initiated, it said.

On February 17, a case was lodged against an Instagram account for allegedly posting inappropriate videos of women pilgrims.

The police said they have sought information from Meta, the technology conglomerate that owns and operates Instagram, to identify the account operator, and action, including arrest, will follow once the details are received.

In the second case, registered on February 19, a Telegram channel was found to be offering similar videos for sale. Legal proceedings have been initiated against the channel, and further investigation is underway, the statement said.

Police have reiterated their commitment to taking strict action against individuals misusing social media to spread objectionable content or misinformation related to the Maha Kumbh. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Prayagraj:

Prominent political leaders, including Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, BJP MP Tejasvi Surya and Union minister Ram Mohan Naidu visited the Maha Kumbh on Wednesday and took a holy dip at the Sangam, officials said.

Ms Sitharaman, who was accompanied by her family members, described the experience as a “profound moment” in the Sanatan tradition, an officials statement said.

Highlighting the global significance of Maha Kumbh, BJP MP from Bangalore South, Tejasvi Surya, said, “Today, I had the privilege of taking a dip in the Sangam along with hundreds of BJYM workers. No event of this scale has ever been organised anywhere in the world. The greatest aspect of Maha Kumbh is its spirit of unity, bringing together people from across the country and beyond.” Mr Surya is the president of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM).

Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said, “This tradition has continued for generations. I feel fortunate to have witnessed and participated in the Maha Kumbh in my lifetime. The energy and positivity here are incredible.” 

Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde also expressed his gratitude for being part of a “once-in-a-lifetime” event.

“Maha Kumbh comes once in 144 years, and I consider myself lucky to attend it. Crores of people are here to take a holy bath, making this a truly magnificent spiritual confluence,” Mr Shinde said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

An investigation into the deadly stampede at New Delhi railway station on Saturday, which killed 18 – including five children – has revealed that a senior Railway Police Force (RPF) official had asked the station manager not to issue any more tickets after he sensed that the crowd had become too large and an uncontrollable situation could arise, but thousands were already on the platforms by then, sources have told NDTV.  

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has, however, said that there was no extraordinary rush at the station. 

Sources said an RPF investigation report into the incident found that four trains to Prayagraj were scheduled to leave the New Delhi railway station between 8.15 pm and 10.10 pm – a span of just two hours – resulting in a massive crowd of Maha Kumbh devotees descending on the platforms. Reports had said that, on average, nearly 1,500 general tickets were sold at the station every hour and many more were purchased online. 

The RPF report said that the Shiv Ganga Express, between New Delhi and Varanasi via Prayagraj, was scheduled to depart from platform number 12 at 8.15 pm, the Magadh Express to West Bengal’s Islampur via Prayagraj from platform number 14 at 9 pm and the Prayagraj Express from the same platform at 10.10 pm. By the time the Shiv Ganga Express left, thousands of passengers could not make it on the crowded train and that’s when they found out that a special train would leave for Prayagraj from platform 16.

This sparked a frenzy and, the report said, the big mass of people began trying to make its way from platform 12 to 16 to board the special train using foot overbridges two and three. In addition to the usual rush, a crowd of people was already heading for platform 14 for the two trains to Prayagraj and the overflow from platform 12 joined this throng. This, the report said, led to the stampede. 

The report mentions that when the crowd began to swell to a point that the situation seemed to be headed out of control, the Assistant Security Commissioner of the RPF asked the station manager not to issue any more tickets, but thousands were already on the platforms and foot overbridges by then. A call was also made for all on-duty and off-duty staff to reach the platform and foot overbridges and the station director was asked to order the special train to Prayagraj to leave as soon as it was full. 

It also notes a statement from one of the injured women that while the stampede began at 9.15 pm, the first call to the fire brigade was made 40 minutes later, at 9.55 pm.

Authorities’ Take

A spokesperson for the Railway Board said more information is being gathered.

“A committee has been formed to investigate the matter through which information will be obtained from all the officers and inspectors posted at the station, after which the committee will submit the report to the zonal railway,” the spokesperson said. 

On Monday, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had ruled out any conspiracy behind the stampede at the New Delhi station and emphasised that there was no extraordinary rush either.

“No conspiracy looks at the moment (sic),” the minister was quoted as saying by news agency PTI. 

Stating that the information he had till then showed that there was no extraordinary rush at the New Delhi railway station, he also dismissed reports of a platform change announcement as a cause of the stampede. “The inquiry committee is looking into it deeply,” he said.

Buxar, Bihar:

Like millions of devotees across India, seven men from Bihar’s Buxar district wanted to be a part of Maha Kumbh – the world’s biggest religious gathering in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj. However, with reports of massive traffic jams and unprecedented rush in trains, they were presented with a daunting challenge: how to get to the destination? It was then that they came up with an ingenious idea. They reached the river banks of Prayagraj on February 13 after a boat ride spanning two days.

The men, from Kamharia village of Buxar, completed the journey of 550 km across the river Ganga in nearly two days. Their journey amid difficulties faced by several devotees has become a topic of discussion.

On most days since the start of the six-week festival (from January 13 to February 26), massive traffic jams were reported on almost every road leading to Prayagraj and even trains running to the Uttar Pradesh city are witnessing heavy rush. Railways have started several Kumbh Mela special trains to avoid overcrowding.

To bypass these issues, the men installed a motor on a boat, packed some food, water, another motor for backup and money and began their journey on February 11.

Each of the men in the group had to take turns to row the boat for five to six kilometres as the motor would heat up. They also had to stay awake at night during their journey to keep the boat afloat.

“We are travelling to Prayagraj by boat,” one of the men was heard saying in a video.

Finally, they reached the river banks of Prayagraj and took a dip in the early hours of February 13. By 10 pm on February 16, they were back home.

“There were huge jams on the roads leading to Prayagraj so we decided to go by boat. We didn’t we will go viral. We decided to undertake the trip just because we wanted to take the holy dip,” said another man.

However, he said, that he thinks only those who can row a boat should go for this route because “rowing is physically draining”.

“Our mobiles also stopped working after a few hours and we faced issues while navigating the boat. But we finally reached the destination,” he said.

Suman Chaudhary, who was a part of the boat ride, said the entire trip cost them around Rs 20,000, which included fuel, ration, water and other expenses.

Their unique trip comes amid a stampede at the New Delhi Railway station that killed 18 people. The death count included several women and children. The rush at the train station broke out on Saturday as crowds struggled to board trains to Prayagraj.

More than 52.83 crore devotees have taken a dip at the Triveni Sangam – where the rivers Ganga, Yamina and now dried-up Saraswati converge – since it began last month and the surge of pilgrims at the festival – which happens every 12 years – shows no signs of abating.

Devotees continue to throng the railway stations, undeterred by the tragedy.

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:

At least 18 people died after a huge rush of passengers, caused by two delayed trains and a special Express train to Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj, led to a stampede at the New Delhi Railway station on Saturday night. While eyewitnesses claimed that a last-minute platform change announcement for the special train to Prayagraj caused panic before the deadly stampede, the Railways has denied any such change.

The Delhi police have now provided a clarification in this regard. According to the police, the arrival of another special train to Prayagraj – the Prayagraj Special – on platform number 16 confused the passengers waiting for the special train on platform number 14. Follow New Delhi Railway Station Stampede Live Updates here

“The announcement of the Prayagraj Special arriving at Platform 16 led to confusion because the Prayagraj Express was already at Platform 14. People who could not reach their train at Platform 14 thought their train was arriving at Platform 16 leading to the stampede. Additionally, four other trains were heading to Prayagraj, out of which three were delayed, causing unexpected overcrowding,” the police said.

A top Railway official said that the incident was caused after a passenger slipped on the nearby stairs.

“Trains were not cancelled, and the platform was not changed. All trains have been running as per its schedule,” Himanshu Shekhar Upadhyay, CPRO Northern Railway said.

The Railways has also formed a two-member high-level committee to probe the incident. Narsingh Deo, Principal Chief Commercial Manager of Northern Railway and Pankaj Gangwar, Principal Chief Security Commissioner of Northern Railway are a part of the committee, officials said.

The committee, which has commenced its inquiry, gave orders to secure all video footage of the New Delhi Railway Station.

Out of the 18 victims in the incident, 11 were women and four were children. A dozen more people were injured and taken to nearby hospitals for treatment. Majority of the victims who sustained injuries reportedly have suffered lower limb injuries while others suffered from bone injuries.

New Delhi:

Millions of devotees from across India have been visiting the ongoing Maha Kumbh mela in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj – one that is held every 12 years – causing a huge rush in trains and traffic on roads. A wave of stampede-like incidents and angry passengers breaking train windows as they were unable to board the train to Maha Kumbh amid the rush have come to light recently.

Last night, at least 18 people, including 11 women and five children, died after a huge crowd of passengers caused by two delayed trains and a special Express train to Maha Kumbh led to a stampede at the New Delhi Railway station.

While eyewitnesses claimed that the stampede took place after a rumour spread among people that the Prayagraj Express was going to arrive on a different platform, the Railway authorities have repeatedly denied it. Himanshu Shekhar Upadhyay, CPRO Northern Railway said that there was already a huge rush on the station’s platform when a passenger slipped on the nearby stairs, leading to the deadly stampede.

According to the official, platforms number 13 and 14 at the New Delhi Railway station were already crowded as many people were waiting to board two trains – Magdh Express and another going towards Jammu – which were delayed. Amid this, a special train for Maha Kumbh, the Prayagraj Express, was to leave at 10:10 pm from platform number 14. As the time for the train to Prayagraj neared, more and more people started gathering on the platform, adding to the existing rush. During this time, more than a thousand general tickets were bought by passengers to go to Maha Kumbh, officials said.

“Trains were not cancelled, and the platform was not changed. All trains have been running as per its schedule,” he said.

The Railways has also formed a two-member high-level committee to probe the incident. Narsingh Deo, Principal Chief Commercial Manager of Northern Railway and Pankaj Gangwar, Principal Chief Security Commissioner of Northern Railway are a part of the committee, officials said.

The committee, which has commenced its inquiry, gave orders to secure all video footage of the New Delhi Railway Station.

How Railways is managing Maha Kumbh rush in Prayagraj

As millions of people are visiting Prayagraj, the railway authorities have made extensive security measures across the city’s stations.

Shashikant Tripathi, CRPO of North Central Railway told NDTV that they have been maintaining protocol at all railway stations in the city. “Through these protocols, either on normal day rush or key days like ‘mauni amavasiya’, we have made a smooth entry and exit for passengers. With the help of colour-coded areas, we have helped the passengers board and deboard trains safely.”

According to him, they do not need to enforce any new protocols.

“We have been working well with these protocols. In the case of Prayagraj junction, we only allow the passengers to enter through the city side and the exit is done through civil lines side. We have 4 passenger sheds which are colour-coded and directions have been defined on them. Whenever the limit of passengers crosses at these sheds, we activate the Kusrow Bagh area – from where the passengers can travel. All basic amenities have also been provided at these locations,” he added.

New Delhi:

At least 18 people, including 11 women and four children, died after a huge rush of passengers caused by two delayed trains and a special Express train to Maha Kumbh led to a stampede at the New Delhi Railway station on Saturday night. Over a dozen people have also been injured in the incident and are undergoing treatment at nearby hospitals.

The incident took place around 9.55 pm, prompting an emergency response from authorities.

The Ministry of Railways has ordered an inquiry into the “unfortunate” incident and formed a two-member high-level committee to investigate the matter.

What led to the stampede?

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

According to the police, platforms number 13 and 14 at the New Delhi Railway station were already crowded as many people were waiting to board two trains – Swatantrata Senani and Bhubaneswar Rajdhani – which were delayed. Amid this, a special train for Maha Kumbh, the Prayagraj Express, was to leave at 10:10 pm from platform number 14.

As the time for the train to Prayagraj neared, more and more people started gathering on the platform, adding to the existing rush. During this time, more than a thousand general tickets were bought by passengers to go to Maha Kumbh, officials said.

Additionally, a rumour also spread among people that the Prayagraj Express was going to arrive on a different platform.

This led to the passengers pushing each other and rushing towards the stairs, causing a stampede.

A wave of similar incidents has been taking place recently as special trains are arranged for the Maha Kumbh – a grand festival held only once every 12 years. 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.

Also Read | “No One Was Listening”: Air Force Official On New Delhi Station Stampede

President, PM Modi express grief 

President Droupadi Murmu said she was deeply anguished to know about the loss of lives in a stampede at New Delhi Railway station. “I extend my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and pray for speedy recovery of those injured,” she said.

Condoling the loss of lives, Prime Minister Narendra 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.”

Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena called the incident “unfortunate” and “tragic” and expressed grief over the loss of lives. “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,” he said.

New Delhi:

Multiple videos have emerged showing crowds pouring over each other at the New Delhi Railway Station before a stampede killed at least 18 people and injured dozens on Saturday night. The rush at the station broke out as crowds struggled to board trains for Prayagraj’s Maha Kumbh, which has so far attracted more than 50 crore devotees.

The videos show passengers pushing each other on the platforms to board the trains. Some men were also seen entering the trains through windows.

The stampede at the NDLS, which broke out around 10 pm, was preceded by a swell in the crowd of passengers waiting to board trains for Prayagraj on platform numbers 14 and 15.

“People were pushing each other,” a man whose mother died in the stampede told reporters.

Another passenger said the station was “overcrowded”.

“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,” he said.

What Led To New Delhi Railway Station Stampede

An official said platform number 14 was very crowded when the Prayagraj Express train was waiting there for its departure. He said two other trains –  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.

“As per CMI (Commercial-cum-Ticket Inspector), 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,” he said.

President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have grieved the deaths.

“Deeply anguished to know about the loss of lives in a stampede at New Delhi Railway station. I extend my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and pray for a speedy recovery of those injured,” President Murmu said in a post on X.

PM Modi said he was “distressed” by the stampede at the 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,” he said.