The death toll in a late-night stampede at New Delhi railway station has risen to 18. The police have started investigations and are examining CCTV footage from the site to understand the events leading up to the chaos. Officials reported that the stampede late Saturday night injured over a dozen people at the railway station. Chaos erupted as crowds gathered at platforms 14 and 15 to board trains bound for Prayagraj.
An agency reports that a victim said his mother died in the stampede. 'We were in a group, heading home to Chhapra in Bihar, but I lost my mother in the panic. People were pushing each other. The doctor confirmed my mother's death,' he said. Another female family member of the deceased fainted in shock. Eye-witnesses stated that a massive crowd at the station led to the stampede, causing many to faint from suffocation.
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A passenger named Dharmendra Singh said, 'I was going to Prayagraj, but many trains were delayed or canceled, leading to overcrowding. I saw six or seven women being carried on stretchers. Another passenger, Pramod Chaurasia, shared, 'I had a sleeper-class ticket for the Purushottam Express, but even confirmed ticket holders couldn't board. A friend and a woman passenger got caught in the crowd. There was a lot of pushing and shoving. We came out with our children and started waiting.'
Source: aajtak
According to official sources, the chaos might have been triggered by a false platform change announcement. Heavy police presence has been ordered outside LNJP Hospital.
The Deputy Commissioner of Police (Railways) stated in an official report that the platform was already crowded when the Prayagraj Express was awaiting its departure at platform 14. The official further mentioned that the late-running trains, Satyagraha Express and Bhubaneswar Rajdhani Express, had passengers present on platforms 12, 13, and 14.
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Delhi's acting Chief Minister, Atishi, reported that 15 bodies were brought to the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Hospital in Central Delhi. Of the deceased, 14 were women. Five minors, among the casualties, included two children under the age of ten. Atishi mentioned that around 15 injured people are currently receiving medical treatment.
Source: aajtak
North Railway's Chief Public Relations Officer, Himanshu Upadhyay, initially stated that passengers began pushing each other, leading to injuries. He mentioned that the injured were taken to the hospital for first aid. According to the CMI, the railway was selling 1,500 general tickets per hour, leading to crowding that spiraled out of control at the station.
