During a tragic stampede at the New Delhi Railway Station on Saturday night (February 15), large crowds rushed towards trains headed for Prayagraj, where the Maha Kumbh is currently taking place, leaving 18 people dead and more than a dozen injured.
Overcrowding Leads To Deadly Stampede At New Delhi Railway Station
A stampede occurred at New Delhi Railway Station on Saturday, leaving 15 people dead and 10 others injured. The incident occurred on platforms 14 and 15 of the railway station. The stampede occurred after two trains to Prayagraj got cancelled, resulting in chaos on the platform.… pic.twitter.com/FgvEczBU1X
— Dhram Goswami (@dhram_goswami) February 16, 2025
The unfortunate incident happened at 9:55 pm on platforms 14 and 15, where thousands of pilgrims had gathered to reach Prayagraj. According to the CNBC TV 18 reports, the situation at the station was chaotic as passengers were pushing forward, desperate to board their trains. The officials struggled to contain the overwhelming rush.
According to railway officials, the Prayagraj Express was stationed at platform 14. Meanwhile, two other trains, Swatantrata Senani Express and Bhubaneswar Rajdhani Express, faced delays, forcing even more passengers onto platforms 12, 13, and 14. The situation quickly worsened as people tried to pass through the overcrowded staircases and foot overbridges.
Eyewitnesses claim that an unexpected train platform change further increased the chaos at the station, NDTV reported. An announcement was made that a train arriving on platform 12 would now come on platform 16. That’s when the crowd rushed from both sides, and the stampede broke out. The victims included 14 women and five minors, with two children under 10 years old among the deceased. Many others sustained injuries and were rushed to Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Hospital (LNJP) for treatment.
Investigation Launched To Find The Cause Of The Stampede
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.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 15, 2025
When the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and rescue crews arrived, the damage was already done. According to the NDTV reports, NDRF Commandant Daulat Ram Chaudhary confirmed that train services had resumed with special arrangements and that the situation was now under control.
Both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Atishi of Delhi conveyed their grief over the incident. “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,” PM Modi posted on X (previously known as Twitter).
To find out what caused the stampede, the Railway Board has started a high-level investigation, Hindustan Times reported. In an attempt to control the crowd, officials blocked staircases. Now, they have admitted that this may have backfired and trapped people. More special trains have been announced by authorities in the meantime to control the traffic and avoid another tragedy. To help with the rising rush, access to the station was also temporarily restricted.
As the Maha Kumbh continues, questions remain: Could this have been prevented? And what steps will be taken to ensure the safety of passengers in the future?
For now, Delhi mourns a devastating night that no one saw coming.
Cover Image Courtesy: Adv Rukhsana Sayed/X
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