18 dead, over dozen injured in stampede due to Kumbh rush at New Delhi railway station; probe ordered

New Delhi: At least 18 people were killed and more than a dozen injured in a stampede at New Delhi Railway Station on Saturday night following a sudden rush of passengers going to Prayagraj to attend the Kumbh Mela, officials said.

“A total of 15 people, including three children, lost their lives. Ten others were injured in the incident that occurred at New Delhi Railway Station,” Chief Casualty Medical Officer, Loknayak Jayaprakash Hospital, had said before the death toll rose further.

The incident occurred after rumours went around that the railways had cancelled two Prayagraj-bound trains, which led to chaos on platforms 14 and 15. The stampede broke out around 9:55 pm, prompting an emergency response from authorities.

“Situation under control. Delhi police and Railway Protection Force (RPF) have reached the spot. Injured taken to hospital. Special trains being run to evacuate sudden rush, “ the railways said in a statement earlier in the night.

Several videos are being circulated on social media where railway staff are trying to shift passengers who are in an unconscious state through luggage trollies. It was said that due to overcrowding at the platform, several people fell unconscious due to lack of oxygen.

Authorities immediately dispatched rescue teams and four fire tenders were rushed to the site to assist in the relief efforts, Delhi Fire Service chief Atul Garg said.

Some of the passengers present there on the platforms fainted due to this sudden rush further leading to rumours of a stampede-like situation. This led to panic. The situation was later controlled by easing the rush. Railways said no train was cancelled and in fact four additional trains were operated and  requested the public not to heed to rumours.

A high-level inquiry was ordered by the railways on the incident. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw visited the railway station with top railway officials.

Track latest updates from the Delhi stampede here

Deputy commissioner of police (DCP) Railway, K P S Malhotra told reporters that the stampede-like situation was caused by an influx of passengers from delayed trains.

“When the Prayagraj Express was standing at platform 14, there was a huge crowd on the platform. Swatantrata Senani Express and Bhubaneswar Rajdhani were delayed, and passengers were also present at platforms 12, 13 and 14. As per the information, 1500 general tickets were sold per hour due to which the crowd became uncontrollable.”

Meanwhile, 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.

According to official sources, wrong announcement about change of platforms may have created a confusion that led to the stampede.

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.

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."

He added, "The doctor has confirmed to us that my mother has died."

Another family member of a deceased, a woman, collapsed in grief.

Authorities dispatched rescue teams and four fire tenders to the site, Delhi Fire Services (DFS) chief Atul Garg said.

Northern Railway's Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) Himanshu Upadhyay initially told PTI that passengers pushed each other, which caused injuries to some of them. They were taken to hospitals for first aid, he said.

Defence Minister Rajnath in a post on X said he was pained by the deaths.

"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," he wrote.

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."

Credit: X/@LtGovDelhi

However, after about 15 minutes Saxena edited his post to delete the reference to deaths. No explanation was given.

He said the chief secretary has been asked to invoke disaster-management measures and deploy relief personnel.

"All hospitals are in readiness to address related exigencies. Have instructed CS and CP to be at the site and take control of relief measures," Saxena 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."

Before the deaths were confirmed, Railway Board's Information and Publicity, executive Dilip Kumar, told PTI that a "stampede-like" situation occurred due to a large footfall and several people collapsed.

"So far, four special trains have been released for passenger convenience, and more are being considered. Arrangements are being made for additional special trains," he said.

(With PTI inputs)