How the New Delhi railway station stampede unfolded: Delayed trains, blocked stairs and a rumour

The situation worsened due to platform overcrowding, as passengers scrambled to board the Prayagraj Express, which was scheduled to depart at 10:10 pm from platform 14.

At least 18 people, including 14 women and five children, lost their lives in a stampede at New Delhi Railway Station on Saturday night, triggered by a massive rush of passengers. The incident, which occurred around 9:55 pm, also left over a dozen people injured, who are now being treated at nearby hospitals.

The stampede unfolded after delays to two trains bound for Prayagraj and the arrival of a special Express train for the Maha Kumbh Mela. The situation worsened due to platform overcrowding, as passengers scrambled to board the Prayagraj Express, which was scheduled to depart at 10:10 pm from platform 14.

The chaos began when two major trains, the Swatantrata Senani and Bhubaneswar Rajdhani, were delayed, causing a crowd to build up on platforms 13 and 14. Adding to the pressure, over 1,000 general tickets were sold to passengers headed for the Maha Kumbh, leading to further congestion.

Northern Railway's Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) Himanshu Upadhyay explained that the stampede was sparked when passengers, some coming down from the foot-over bridge, slipped on the stairs leading to platforms 14 and 15, causing a pile-up. "Some people who were coming down from the footover bridge towards platform numbers 14 and 15 using stairs slipped and fell on others," he noted.

The situation worsened when a rumour spread that the Prayagraj Express would be arriving at a different platform, causing passengers to push and shove towards the stairs in panic.

The Ministry of Railways has ordered a high-level inquiry into the "unfortunate" incident and formed a two-member committee to investigate the cause.

As per sources, a combination of train delays and the continuous sale of general tickets, approximately 1,500 every hour, contributed to the overwhelming crowd at the station. This, coupled with the last-minute rush to board the special Prayagraj Express, led to the stampede.

Authorities are assessing the situation, and the Delhi Police have launched an investigation into the causes of the tragedy. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Railways has vowed to implement stricter crowd control measures for upcoming Maha Kumbh train services to avoid further incidents.

Earlier this week, passengers at Bihar's Madhubani Railway Station broke windows on the Swatantrata Senani Express after being unable to board the overcrowded train to Delhi.