Following the stampede incident at New Delhi Railway Station, the Indian Railways has decided to take intense precautionary measures. Due to the increasing crowd at the Maha Kumbh, the decision was made to potentially close the Prayagraj Sangam station. However, this decision depends on the future crowd situation. If the crowd does not decrease, the station may remain closed. According to the current plan, Prayagraj Sangam station will remain closed until February 28.
Over the weekend, a massive crowd of devotees gathered at the Maha Kumbh, by the evening the flow of people had just grown. Railways across the country have reported large numbers of devotees heading toward Sangam, prompting the railway authorities to be on high alert.
The railway was instructed to stay prepared with an emergency plan around the clock. If the crowd continues to grow, a decision may be made to keep Prayagraj station closed for the duration of the Maha Kumbh.
After this announcement, passengers who were scheduled to board trains from Prayagraj Sangam will need to catch their trains from Prayagraj Junction or Prayag Station. This decision was made to ensure better crowd management.
Due to the closure of Sangam station, devotees will have to walk further to reach Prayag station. In addition, special trains are being operated to accommodate the large number of devotees.
During the weekend, in order to prevent overcrowding, authorities stopped people at a large park near the station and allowed them to proceed to the station in small groups. By Sunday evening, the situation had worsened, with the crowd growing significantly. At 8:20 pm, an announcement was made advising people not to come to the station for the next hour to help manage the overwhelming crowd.
On Saturday night, at least 18 people were killed in a stampede broke out at New Delhi Railway Station as passengers waited for their Prayagraj-bound trains to take part in Maha Kumbh Mela. Delhi Fire Services said it received complaints of a "stampede-like" situation at New Delhi Railway Station while earlier, the Railways and Delhi police ruled out the occurrence of a stampede.