Inquiry Panel to Include Two Senior Officials
NEW DELHI, Feb 16:
At least 18 individuals lost their lives in the stampede that occurred at the bustling New Delhi Railway Station overnight, as confirmed by a senior railway official today. The stampede reportedly started when several passengers lost their footing and fell while descending from a footbridge.
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A multitude of injuries were reported during the stampede that unfolded on Saturday night, as the station was overwhelmed with travelers preparing to board trains to Prayagraj—site of the ongoing Maha Kumbh—primarily on platforms 14 and 15.
Himanshu Upadhyay, Chief Public Relations Officer of Northern Railway, stated that at the time of the incident, the Patna-bound Magadh Express was present at platform 14 and the New Delhi-Jammu Uttar Sampark Kranti Express at platform 15.
“The chaos ensued when several individuals descending from the footbridge towards platforms 14 and 15 lost their balance and fell on one another,” he explained, elaborating on the trigger for the stampede.
Sources indicated that delays in train departures and the sale of approximately 1,500 general tickets every hour may have contributed to the tumult, while others suggested that erroneous announcements regarding platform changes may have led to confusion, prompting the stampede.
The railways have designated two senior administrative officials to the inquiry committee formed to investigate the stampede.
The committee members include Narsingh Deo, Principal Chief Commercial Manager, Northern Railway, and Pankaj Gangwar, Principal Chief Security Commissioner, Northern Railway.
Already embarked on their investigation, the committee has ordered the preservation of all video footage from the New Delhi Railway Station. The inquiry was initiated by the railways on Saturday following the stampede.
A compensation of Rs 10 lakh has been pledged to the families of those who perished in the incident. Those severely injured will be granted Rs 2.5 lakh, while those with minor injuries will receive Rs 1 lakh, as stated by the railways.
This afternoon, the railway station remained crowded, with passengers anxiously waiting for their trains.
Through the night, railway staff made efforts to clear the platforms, which were littered with a large number of shoes, torn bags, and clothing left in the aftermath of the stampede.
A railway employee, who spent hours cleaning up the belongings abandoned by passengers during the chaos, described the scene as “one of the worst” he had ever encountered.
“Everywhere you looked, there were personal items—slippers, half-eaten food, and even a child’s school bag. People had no time to collect their belongings; they were just fleeing for their lives,” he recounted.
The stampede transpired around 9:55 pm on Saturday night as thousands of passengers, predominantly Maha Kumbh pilgrims, filled the station to catch trains to Prayagraj.
The Prayagraj Express was situated at platform 14, while the Swatantrata Senani Express and Bhubaneswar Rajdhani Express were delayed, leading to an overwhelming influx of people on platforms 12, 13, and 14.
The situation deteriorated when a sudden platform change was announced, causing confusion and panic among passengers as they rushed towards platform 16, where an escalator became a perilous bottleneck, according to reports.
Despite attempts by security personnel to manage the crowd, the sheer volume made it impossible. Many passengers tried to climb over railings to escape, while some were tragically crushed in the chaos, sources revealed.
In the aftermath, 18 individuals—14 women and five children, two of whom were under ten years old—lost their lives.
Families gathered at Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Hospital to identify their loved ones.
One man, searching frantically for his missing son, broke down upon spotting a familiar blue backpack among the recovered items from the station.
“He was just 12. He was supposed to board the train with me,” he lamented.
President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh expressed their condolences over the tragic loss of life from the stampede.
“I am deeply saddened to learn about the loss of lives in the stampede at New Delhi railway station. I extend my heartfelt sympathies to the bereaved families and pray for the swift recovery of the injured,” Murmu remarked in a post on X.
The Prime Minister expressed his distress regarding the stampede at New Delhi Railway Station.
“My thoughts are with all those who have lost their loved ones. I pray for the speedy recovery of those injured. The authorities are providing assistance to all affected by this incident,” he stated.
Opposition parties criticized the government over the loss of lives in the stampede.
The Congress party accused the government of attempting to obscure the truth surrounding the casualties and labeled it another failure of the Railways and the government’s insensitivity, while the AAP termed it a blatant example of “gross mismanagement” and lack of crowd control measures.
Delhi Police released a list of the 18 deceased individuals and initiated an investigation into the stampede.
“Our main objective is to ascertain the primary cause behind the stampede. We will gather all data, including CCTV footage and announcements made during that time,” a police source explained.
The deceased have been identified as Asha Devi (79), Pinky Devi (41), Sheela Devi (50), Vyom (25), Poonam Devi (40), Lalita Devi (35), Suruchi (11), Krishna Devi (40), Vijay Sah (15), Neeraj (12), Shanti Devi (40), Pooja Kumari (8), Sangeeta Malik (34), Poonam (34), Mamta Jha (40), Riya Singh (7), Baby Kumari (24), and Manoj (47).
Sources from the hospital indicated that all bodies of the victims were handed over to their families by 9 am, and they departed for their respective homes.
Reports suggest that most family members took their loved ones’ bodies without undergoing a postmortem, although no official confirmation has been released regarding this. (PTI)
