NEW DELHI: At least 18 people—including nine women, four men and four children—were killed and more than a dozen injured in a deadly stampede at the New Delhi Railway Station on Saturday night.
The stampede broke out around 10 pm as thousands of Maha Kumbh devotees bound for Prayagraj packed platforms 14 and 15 of New Delhi Railway Station, sparking panic among travelers.
An incorrect platform change announcement may have triggered the stampede at, sources said, citing poor crowd management as a key factor.
Initial findings suggest the chaos began after an announcement about special trains, prompting a rush onto platforms and causing several passengers to fall. Poor infrastructure, insufficient staff, inadequate safety measures, and abrupt platform changes all contributed to the disorder, making movement difficult.
Sources told TNIE that 15 victims were declared dead at the LNJP Hospital, while three others were confirmed dead at the Lady Hardinge medical college hospital. "A total of 15 people, including 3 children have died while 10 others are still receiving treatment," an official at the LNJP hospital said.
The government has announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the families of the deceased, Rs 2.5 lakh for those seriously injured, and Rs 1 lakh for others who sustained injuries.
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.
'Far more people than I have ever seen'
The incident highlights the need for better crowd control, planning, and facilities to manage large passenger volumes, said several commuters.
Local staff and witnesses said such crowds had not been seen at the New Delhi station since 1981. Many noted that rail authorities should have anticipated the surge based on increased ticket sales and implemented better crowd management.
Eyewitnesses claimed that the incident occurred when the people on the overbridge started running towards the platform when a train was arriving at the station. The rush of people was so large that the people who had even confirmed tickets were unable to board the trains.
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 died in the chaos. People were pushing each other."
Another family member of a deceased, a woman, collapsed in grief.
According to a rough estimate,over 50,000 people had reached the New Delhi railway station to go to Prayagraj for Mahakumbh.
"I wanted to go to Prayagraj and I had confirmed a seat but the moment I reached platform no 16 there was utter chaos following which I ran back out of the station," a commuter named Ashok Kumar said.
Multiple videos emerged showing a massive crowd of passengers rushing through the railway station. Many were seen carrying children on their shoulders, while others struggled with their luggage amidst the chaos.
Another passenger, 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."
The Ministry of Railways has formed a two-member inquiry committee to investigate the stampede at New Delhi Railway Station. The committee will be led by two senior administrative officials: Narsingh Deo, Principal Chief Commercial Manager of Northern Railway, and Pankaj Gangwar, Principal Chief Security Commissioner of Northern Railway.
Railway sources confirmed that authorities have begun collecting CCTV footage from the station to aid in the investigation.
Eyewitnesses at the station described the overwhelming crowds as unprecedented, with many stating that such a large number of passengers had never been seen in the last 20 years. Railway sources admitted that the crowd size on Saturday was far beyond what had been anticipated.
According to Himanshu Upadhyay, the Chief Public Relations Officer of Northern Railway, at the time of the incident, the Patna-bound Magadh Express was stationed at platform 14, and the New Delhi-Jammu Uttar Sampark Kranti Express was on platform 15. Upadhyay explained that some passengers descending the foot overbridge towards these platforms slipped on the stairs, causing them to fall on others.
A senior railway official mentioned that Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has been closely monitoring the situation, holding reviews with officials on Sunday and meeting with Home Minister Amit Shah to address the issue.
Delhi Fire Services (DFS) Chief Atul Garg confirmed that the situation was under control by the time the teams arrived at the station.
Earlier, the Northern Railways had dismissed reports of the stampede, calling it a rumour. However, hours later, its Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) Himanshu Upadhyay, told mediapersons that passengers had pushed each other, which caused injuries to some of them.
They were taken to hospitals for first aid, he said.
Delhi LG VK Saxena expressed his grief at the deaths in a post on X, but later edited it, removing the bits where he mentioned the casualties.
In his original post, 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."
However, after about 15 minutes Saxena edited his post to delete the reference to deaths. No explanation was given.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also took to X to express his condolences over the tragic incident. " 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," he said.
Delhi Police release names of 18 deceased
1. Asha Devi w/o Ravindee nath r/o Buxure Bihar Age 79 years
2. Pinky Devi w/o Upender Sharma r/o Sangam Vihar Delhi age 41 years
3. Sheela Devi w/o Umesh Giri r/o Sarita Vihar delhi age 50 years
4. Vyom s/o Dharamveer r/o Bawana Delhi age 25 years
5. Poonam Devi w/o Megh Nath r/o Saran Bihar age 40 years
6. Lalita Devi w/o santosh r/o Parna Bihar Age 35 years
7. Suruchi D/o Manoj shah r/o Muzaffarpur Bihar age 11 years
8. Krishna Devi w/o Vijay shah r/o Samastipur Bihar age 40 years
9. Vijay sah s/o Ram Sarup sah r/o Samastipur Bihar age 15 years
10. Neeraj s/o Inderjeet paswan r/o Vaishali Bihar age 12 years
11. Shanti Devi w/o Raj Kumar Manjhi r/o Nawada Bihar age 40 years
12. Pooja Kumar D/o Raj Kumar manjhi r/o Nawada Bihar age 8 years
13. Sangeeta Malik w/o Mohit Malik r/o Bhiwani Haryana age 34 years
14. Poonam W/o Virender Singh r/o Mahavir enclave age 34 years
15. Mamta Jha w/o Vipin Jha r/o Nangloi Delhi age 40 years
16. Riya Singh d/o Opil Singh r/o sagarpur delhi age 7 years
17. Baby Kumari d/o Prabhu sah r/o Bijwasan Delhi age 24 years
18. Manoj s/o Panchdev Kushwaha r/o Nangloi Delhi age 47 years
