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Mahakumbh rush turns fatal: Stampede at New Delhi Railway Station, at least 15 dead
Public Lokpal
February 16, 2025
Mahakumbh rush turns fatal: Stampede at New Delhi Railway Station, at least 15 dead
NEW DELHI: At least 15 people were killed and more than a dozen injured in a stampede that broke out late Saturday night at the New Delhi Railway Station, officials said.
The stampede was preceded by a swell in crowd of passengers waiting to board trains to Prayagraj -- where the Maha Kumbh is underway -- on platform numbers 14 and 15 of the station.
Acting Chief Minister Atishi told reporters that 15 people had been brought dead at the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Hospital of central Delhi. All but two of the casualties were identified. Three of them were children.
Almost 15 people are injured and they are undergoing treatment, Atishi said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a post on X grieved the deaths.
"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," he said.
Eyewitnesses said a huge rush at the station led to the stampede with several passengers fainting because of suffocation.
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.
The stampede broke out around 9.55 pm, prompting an emergency response from authorities.
One of the victims told reporters that his mother had died in the stampede.
He said, "We were travelling to our home in Chhapra, Bihar, in a group, but my mother lost her life in the chaos. People were pushing each other." He added, "The doctor has confirmed to us that my mother has died." Another family member of the deceased, a woman, collapsed in grief.
Authorities dispatched rescue teams and four fire tenders were rushed to the site, Delhi Fire Services (DFS) chief Atul Garg said.
Northern Railway's Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) Himanshu Upadhyay earlier told PTI that passengers pushed each other, which caused injuries to some of them. They were taken to hospitals for first aid, he said.
PTI
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