1,500 General Tickets Sold Every Hour, Delayed Trains — What Led To Stampede At New Delhi Railway Station?

The railway station was already crowded because the Swatantra Senani Express and Bhubaneshwar Rajdhani Express were delayed. Passengers of these trains were also present on platforms 12, 13, and 14.

An eyewitness says the crowd was beyond the limit and people had gathered at the foot over bridge.

Source : PTI

Delhi Station Stampede: After a major stampede near the Sangam at the Maha Kumbh Mela claimed several lives on Mauni Amavasya, another similar incident has killed 18 devotees who were waiting at the New Delhi railway station's platform number 14 for a train to Prayagraj. The stampede occurred at 9.55 pm on Saturday as a "beyond the limit" crowd gathered at the station.

An officer said the railway station was already crowded because the Swatantra Senani Express and Bhubaneshwar Rajdhani Express were delayed. The passengers of these trains were also present on platforms 12, 13, and 14.

The deputy commissioner of police (railway) said, "As per CMI, railways sold 1,500 general tickets every hour, which caused the station to become overcrowded and uncontrollable. There was a stampede at platform no. 14 and near the escalator near platform no. 16."

Passengers Fainted Because Of Suffocation

Eyewitnesses said they never saw such a crowd even during festivals. A huge rush at the station led to the stampede and several passengers fainted because of suffocation, they added.

An eyewitness says the crowd was beyond the limit and people had 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.

The brother of one of the victims told ANI that they were going to the Kumbh Mela in a group of 12 people. "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," he said.

There Was No Police, Alleges Passenger

Northern Railway's Chief Public Relations Officer Himanshu Upadhyay told PTI that passengers pushed each other, injuring some of them. They were taken to hospitals for first aid.

Another passenger, whose mother died in the stampede, said, "We were going to our home in Chhapra, Bihar. We have no idea why this happened, so many people came all of a sudden and started pushing each other... There were no police."