At least 18 people, including 14 women, were killed and more than a dozen injured in a stampede at the New Delhi Railway Station late Saturday night, officials said. The chaos unfolded around 10 pm on platforms 14 and 15, where a massive crowd had gathered to board trains to Prayagraj for the ongoing Maha Kumbh.
According to Delhi Police, the surge of passengers led to a stampede, triggering widespread panic and casualties.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on X that he is distressed by the incident and condoled the loss of lives.
"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," the Prime Minister said.
President Droupadi Murmu expressed her grief over the tragedy, saying, "Deeply anguished to know about the loss of lives in a stampede at New Delhi Railway Station. I extend my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and pray for the speedy recovery of those injured."
Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said in a post on X that the situation at the station was brought under control. "Delhi Police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel have reached the spot and the injured have been taken to hospitals. Special trains are being run to tackle the sudden rush," he added.
In another post, Vaishnaw said that a high-level inquiry has been ordered into the incident. "Deeply saddened by the unfortunate stampede that occurred at New Delhi Railway Station. My prayers are with all those who have lost their loved ones. The entire team is working to assist all those who have been affected by this tragic incident," he said in another post.
Lieutenant Governor (LG) VK Saxena visited the injured at Lok Nayak Jai Prakash (LNJP) Hospital and directed officials to expedite relief measures. In a post on X, he said that the Delhi Chief Secretary and Police Commissioner had been instructed to manage the situation and deploy necessary 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.
However, in an earlier version of his post, Saxena had expressed grief over the deaths but later edited the message to remove references to casualties. His initial post mentioned "loss of lives and injuries" due to the "disorder and stampede" and conveyed condolences to the victims’ families. Within 15 minutes, the mention of deaths was deleted.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami also mourned the loss of lives, calling the incident "extremely painful." In a post on X, he wrote, "The news of the casualties of many people in the unfortunate accident at New Delhi Railway Station is extremely painful. May God give the bereaved family the strength to bear this immense pain..."
Delhi's Acting Chief Minister Atishi confirmed that 15 people had been brought dead to LNJP Hospital, with three of the victims being children. All but two of the casualties had been identified.
Eyewitnesses said several passengers fainted due to suffocation amid huge rush at the station.
The deputy commissioner of police (railway) said in a statement that many people were present on platform number 14 when the Prayagraj Express train was standing at the platform.
He added that the Swantrata Senani Express and Bhubaneshwar Rajdhani Express were delayed and the passengers of these trains were also present on platform numbers 12, 13 and 14.
"As per CMI, every hour 1,500 general tickets were sold by railways due to which the station got overcrowded and became uncontrollable. There was a stampede at platform no. 14 and near escalator near platform no. 16," the DCP was quoted as saying by PTI.
The injured people, including some women, were rushed to the nearby hospital, Ministry of Railways said.
Delhi Fire Services chief Atul Garg said authorities immediately dispatched four fire tenders and rescue teams rushed to the site to assist in the relief efforts.
Northern Railway's Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) Himanshu Upadhyay told PTI that passengers pushed each other, which caused injuries to some of them.
(With inputs from PTI)
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