Platform Change Causes Stampede at New Delhi Railway Station, 18 dead, Several Injured
India: At least 18 people have died and more than a dozen are injured after a stampede broke out at New Delhi Railway Station on Saturday night. The stampede happened because there were too many people trying to catch trains to Prayagraj for the Maha Kumbh. The crowd gathered on platforms 14 and 15, which caused the stampede.
There were claims that a last minute announcement about a special train caused panic among passengers on platforms 14 and 16, leading to the stampede. However, Himanshu Upadhyay, the Chief Public Relations Officer of Northern Railway, clarified that no such announcement was made. He explained that the stampede happened when some people coming down the stairs from the foot overbridge slipped and fell on others, causing the crowd to push and panic.
The CPRO explained, "When this tragic incident happened yesterday, the Magadh Express, heading to Patna, was on platform 14, and the Uttar Sampark Kranti, going to Jammu, was on platform 15. A passenger coming down the stairs between platforms 14 and 15 slipped and fell, and many people standing behind him were knocked over, leading to the stampede. A high-level committee is investigating the incident."
A porter at New Delhi Railway Station said the last minute change of platform caused the confusion that led to 18 deaths. "I’ve been working as a porter since 1981, and I’ve never seen such a huge crowd. The Prayagraj Special was supposed to leave from platform 12, but it was moved to platform 16. As people from platform 12 and those outside tried to get to platform 16, they started bumping into each other and falling on the stairs and escalator. We carried at least 15 bodies and put them in an ambulance," he stated.
Meanwhile, sources have said that delays in train departures and the sale of 1,500 general tickets every hour may have contributed to the confusion at New Delhi Railway Station.
