Delhi Railway Station News: A stampede situation at New Delhi Railway Station claimed 18 lives and left several others injured due to an uncontrollable crowd surge. Authorities have launched a high-level inquiry into the incident.
Photo : PTI
Delhi: At least 18 people, including five children, died, and several others were injured in a stampede-like situation at New Delhi Railway Station on Saturday night. The Delhi railway station stampede incident created chaos among passengers, but authorities managed to bring the situation under control. The injured were rushed to hospital, as confirmed by the Ministry of Railways.
The deceased include nine women, 4 men and five children.
Delhi Station Stampede: What Happened at New Delhi Railway Station?
The incident occurred when the Prayagraj Express was stationed at platform number 14, with a large crowd gathered there, said Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Railway, KPS Malhotra. The situation worsened as Swatantrata Senani Express and Bhubaneswar Rajdhani were delayed, leading to more passengers gathering on platforms 12, 13, and 14.
According to DCP Malhotra, the sudden surge in the number of passengers was due to the sale of 1,500 general tickets. “That’s why the crowd became ‘uncontrollable.’ There was a stampede-like situation at platform no. 14 and near the escalator near platform no. 1,” he said.
While Indian Railways dismissed reports of a stampede as “a rumour,” they confirmed that an undisclosed number of people had been injured and taken to hospital. The Ministry of Railways stated that the incident occurred at around 10 pm when an “unprecedented rush situation” developed near platforms 13 and 14.
“Some of the passengers present there on the platforms fainted due to this sudden rush further leading to the rumours of a stampede-like situation. This led to the spread of panic. The situation was later controlled by easing the rush situation,” the Ministry said. “Northern Railways immediately ran four special trains to evacuate the unprecedented sudden rush. Now rush has been reduced. In the meanwhile, the fainted & injured passengers have been taken to nearby hospitals by RPF & Delhi Police.”
PM Modi Extends Condolences
The tragic incident has prompted a high-level inquiry by the Railways. Several leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, expressed their sorrow over the loss of lives.
PM Modi took to X (formerly Twitter) and wrote, “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.”