Eighteen people died and 15 others were injured in a stampede at New Delhi Railway Station on Saturday night, reportedly triggered by the sale of over 1,500 general tickets at the station. The incident occurred as thousands of devotees attempted to board trains, leading to severe overcrowding.
Eyewitnesses and officials stated that the situation escalated when a large crowd gathered on Platform 14. Many ticket-holders rushed towards Platform 12 following an announcement of a last-minute special train, creating a surge that resulted in a deadly stampede on the staircase connecting Platforms 14 and 15.
The Indian Railways denied any official platform change or cancellation of special trains and rejected claims of mismanagement.
In an official statement, the Northern Railway clarified that the Prayagraj Express was scheduled to depart from Platform 14, while a special train was planned from Platform 12 to accommodate the additional rush.
“Neither a platform change was made by Northern Railway, nor was any special train cancelled,” the statement read.
Officials indicated that the stampede occurred as passengers, after purchasing general tickets, attempted to board the special train at Platform 12.
Railway authorities responded immediately, providing medical assistance at Lok Nayak Jayprakash Narayan Hospital and Lady Hardinge Medical College. The government has announced compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the families of the deceased, Rs 2.5 lakh for those seriously injured, and Rs 1 lakh for those with minor injuries.
To ease congestion, the Railways operated five special trains on February 15 and scheduled four additional trains for February 16.
A high-level inquiry has been initiated, led by Pankaj Gangwar, Principal Chief Security Commissioner, and Nar Singh, Principal Chief Commercial Manager of Northern Railway.
The investigation, which commenced on Sunday, aims to determine the exact cause of the incident and identify any procedural lapses that may have contributed to the stampede.
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