New Delhi: A tragic stampede at New Delhi Railway Station’s platforms 14 and 15 claimed the lives of at least 18 passengers, including 11 women and five children, and left over 20 injured on February 15.
What led to the Stampede?
According to Delhi Police, confusion arose when the Prayagraj Express was at platform 14, but an announcement was made for a special train to Prayagraj at platform 16. Mistaking it for their regular train, many passengers rushed to platform 16, leading to a stampede.
The situation worsened as two delayed trains – Swatantrata Senani Express and Bhubaneswar Rajdhani Express – left platforms 13, 14, and 15 overcrowded. Additionally, four trains to Prayagraj, three of which were delayed, contributed to the unexpected rush.
Eyewitness Accounts and Ground Report
A day after the stampede happened, The New Indian team visited LNJP Hospital, where the deceased were taken, and the injured were receiving treatment.
Brij Bihari, father of 18-year-old Shivam Shukla, who was injured in the stampede, said, “Suddenly, people on platform 14 started running, and he got slipped and crushed by numerous people.”
Shivam, who was heading to Banaras, added, “Swatantrata Sainani train was on platform 13. There was a rumor that Prayagraj Express would come on platform 16, which led to this ruckus.”
Geeta, a 60-year-old vendor at the station, recounted the horror: “People were running haphazardly… I counted twelve bodies myself. One girl, one boy, and the rest were mostly women. People were running wherever they wanted as there were no ropes tied for crowd control. When they got crushed, they died. After the loss, the government realized and then tied the ropes and called the police from outside. This is what happened, nothing more.”
Despite the tragedy, new passengers waiting on platform 15 remained undeterred. Mahender Singh Khatri, who was traveling to Prayagraj with his wife Nisha Khatri, said, “We were scared at first and thought to cancel our tickets initially but later we saw the arrangements were better, so no fear now.”
Another passenger, B. Agarwal, an international consultant, who was waiting on platform 15 with his daughter and wife, added, “No one was at fault, it was destined. Further, he stated, “We heard that more tickets were sold, and the train was not placed on time.”
Amit, 25 yr. old, who was waiting for Magadh Express to return to his hometown Patna, explained how he narrowly avoided the disaster: “I was here yesterday but left around 7 PM after seeing the heavy crowd… No forces were deployed at that time, no ropes tied, nothing. I saw the rush and left from outside itself.”
Praveen Vishar, a kiosk vendor at platform 15, shared, “I wasn’t here at that time; I came this morning at 8 AM. But I heard the stampede happened on the stairs and the foot overbridge. They say three trains were delayed, including a special one. People must have rushed between platforms, leading to the chaos.”
A day after the incident, security was intensified at the station, with additional teams from the Government Railway Police (GRP) and Railway Protection Force (RPF) deployed to manage the rush.
Indian Railways announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 10 lakh to the families of the deceased, Rs 2.5 lakh to those seriously injured, and Rs 1 lakh for those with minor injuries.
An inquiry has been ordered into the incident, with two high-ranking officials – Narsingh Deo, Principal Chief Commercial Manager, Northern Railways, and Pankaj Gangwar, Principal Chief Security Commissioner, Northern Railways – tasked with investigating the cause of the stampede.
The incident has raised questions about the preparedness for handling large crowds, especially during events like the Maha Kumbh, for which most passengers were traveling.
As the investigation continues, authorities face criticism over the management and safety protocols at one of India’s busiest railway stations.