New Delhi:
Sanjay had to carry the lifeless body of his sister across railway tracks over an hour after stampede, as authorities grappled to bring the stampede situation under control at the New Delhi Railway Station late on Saturday. A vendor in the station premises said he has never seen such a crowd in 26 years, while Indian Air Force sergeant Ajit authorities remained helpless as crowds refused to pay heed to instructions regarding now overcrowding the trains and platforms.
At least 18 people were killed and more than a dozen injured in a stampede that broke out on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday at New Delhi Railway Station as a horde of passengers jostled to make way to trains enroute to Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj, where the Maha Kumbh is underway. Among the dead were 11 women and four children.
A vendor at the station told ANI that around 9 pm, crowds on the overbridge between platforms 14 and 15 were so large that even the police were rendered helpless. “There was no platform change. This incident happened despite special trains running every 30 minutes all through the night. In my 26 years at this station, I have never seen such a crowd, not even on Chhath Puja. So much force was deployed, including the NDRF, but people were not paying heed to their instructions,” he said.
#WATCH | Stampede at New Delhi railway station | An eyewitness says, “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.… pic.twitter.com/Ht6xJjNPpc
— ANI (@ANI) February 16, 2025
Sanjay and 11 other members of his family were to board the 10.10 pm train to Prayagraj, but they never made it round the platform. A crowd descended even before they could climb down stairs and swept over them and many others. While they pulled out his daughter and sister-in-law from the chaotic situation alive, his sister was found 30 minutes later, showing no signs of life.
“We conducted CPR on her for one hours. All this while, no authorities came for help. I had to carry her body across the railway tracks to rush her to the hospital,” he told ANI.
#WATCH | Stampede at New Delhi railway station | At LNJP hospital, the brother of one of the victims, Sanjay says, “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… pic.twitter.com/YzcnurcmdO
— ANI (@ANI) February 16, 2025
Ajit had an inkling that something was amiss since 5 pm on Saturday when it took him one hour to exit New Delhi Metro station, which usually takes just two minutes. He was also present when the stampede on Mauni Amawasya occurred in Prayagraj, killing 30 people, and saw a pattern in the way the crowds swelled in no time.
“I climbed down to Platforms 13 and 14 and shouted and urged passengers to wait for 2-3 days and then travel to Prayagraj if they can’t find a place today. What can the authorities do to manage a crowd of 10,000 people that is not listening to their instructions. People continued to rush to whichever platform there was an announcement for regarding a train leaving for Prayagraj. I helped pick up 3-4 people and put them in Delhi Police cars,” he said.
A passenger Pramod Chaurasia told PTI, “I had a sleeper-class ticket for Purushottam Express but even those with confirmed tickets could not board the train. One of my friends and a female passenger got stuck in the crowd. There was too much pushing and jostling. We managed to stay safe by waiting outside with our children.”
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.
“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 the stampede broke out around 9.55 pm, eyewitnesses said several people fainted due to suffocation.
The Railway Board said a two-member high-level committee had been formed to investigate the matter and determine the cause of the stampede.
