At least 16 feared dead after stampede-like situation at New Delhi Railway Station
New Delhi: At least 16 people were feared dead after a stampede-like situation broke out at the New Delhi Railway Station late on Saturday evening, triggering a chaos on platform numbers 14 and 15.
The Railways has ordered an inquiry and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed grief over the incident.
Condoling the loss of lives, PM 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.”
Eyewitnesses said due to a huge rush at the station, several passengers got fainted because of suffocation.
In an official statement, the deputy commissioner of police (railway) said many people were present on platform number 14 when the Prayagraj Express train was standing at the platform.
The officer further said the Swantrata 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.
The incident occurred around 9:55 pm, prompting an emergency response.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena said lives were lost in the incident.
“Devastating news from New Delhi Railway Station. I am extremely pained by the loss of lives due to stampede on Railway platform. In this hour of grief, my thoughts are with the bereaved families. Praying for the speedy of the injured,” Singh said in a post on X.
Saxena said there was an “unfortunate and tragic” incident of “loss of lives and injuries” due to disorder and stampede” at the New Delhi railway station.
“My deepest condolences to the families of victims of this tragedy,” the LG said in a post on X.However, after about 15 minutes Saxena modified his X post to delete the reference to deaths. No explanation was given. Singh’s post remained as it is.
Official sources at the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narain (LNJP) Hospital said around 10-12 patients were brought to the facility.
“A few fatalities have also been reported though the exact number is yet to be confirmed. Most of the patients have sustained injuries requiring surgery or orthopaedic treatment,” one of the sources said.
One of the passengers, Dharmendra Singh, said, “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. In front of me, six or seven women were taken away on stretchers.”
Another passenger, Pramod Chaurasia, said, “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.”
Authorities immediately dispatched rescue teams and four fire tenders were rushed to the site to assist in the relief efforts, Delhi Fire Services (DFS) chief Atul Garg said.
Initial reports suggested that overcrowding due to train services for the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj led to the situation.
Northern Railway’s Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) Himanshu Upadhyay said that passengers pushed each other, which caused injuries to some of them. The injured passengers were taken to hospitals for first aid, he said.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said in a post on X that the situation at the station was brought under control, Delhi Police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel have reached the spot and the injured have been taken to hospitals. Special trains are being run to tackle the sudden rush, he added.
A large crowd gathered outside the railway station, causing traffic congestion. Traffic police personnel were deployed to manage and clear the situation near the Montrose Bridge.
