In the aftermath of the tragic stampede at New Delhi Railway Station, the investigation team swiftly moved into action. On Sunday afternoon, a two-member team visited platform number 16 to gather insights on the incident. They scrutinized the stairs where the chaos erupted, consulted with railway officials, and examined the series of events leading to the mishap. All CCTV cameras have been secured for further analysis to understand the crowd dynamics before the incident.
On Saturday night, passengers headed to the Kumbh Mela were eagerly awaiting a special train at platform 14 of the station. The crowd surge was intense. Adjacent to this, passengers gathered for the Swatantrata Sainani Express to Darbhanga at platform number 13. The platforms were so overcrowded that there was no room to even stand. The situation spiraled out of control, evidenced by the rapid sale of 1500 general tickets within an hour. The entire crowd converged at platforms 13 and 14.
Source: aajtak
Was There an Announcement Leading to Panic?
An announcement was made regarding the arrival of a new special train from Prayagraj at platform 16, convincing the crowd that it would be a returning train to Prayagraj. This led passengers with general tickets to rush from platform 14 to platform 16.
Overcrowding on Foot Over Bridge?
The rushing crowd tried to cross to platform 16 via the footbridge. However, it was already crowded with people resting there. Suddenly, some individuals sitting on the bridge found themselves caught in the wave of people, resulting in compression injuries and a stampede-like situation. The tragic outcome was 18 fatalities and multiple injuries.
Source: aajtak
Questions Arising Post-Tragedy
The incident has raised several questions about the management's preparedness for crowd surges at the station. How did so many people enter the platform? Some were reportedly without tickets. Announcements misled ticket-holding passengers struggling to board trains, suggesting an over-reliance on fate rather than proactive crowd control measures. The inadequacies of the arrangements are now under the spotlight.
Investigators on the Ground, Gathering Evidence
Following the incident, the railway has constituted a two-member investigative team led by Narasimha Dev, Principal Chief Commercial Manager of Northern Railway, and Pankaj Gangwar, Chief Security Commissioner. The team gathered evidence from the station on Sunday afternoon and consulted senior officials. They visited platform number 14, retracing the steps leading to the disaster, and ordered the preservation of all related video footage.
Source: aajtak
When Narasimha Dev was queried about the insufficiency of RPF personnel during the incident, he chose not to comment. He did, however, express his role in the investigative committee and asked for cooperation as they work to unveil the truth.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw Visits the Situation Room
In another development, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw briefed Home Minister Amit Shah and subsequently engaged in high-level discussions at the Rail Ministry. Currently, he is in the Railway's war room, receiving updates from senior officials on the incident's developments.
Railway's Official Statement
In a statement, Northern Railway's Chief Public Relations Officer, Himanshu Shekhar Upadhyay, highlighted the scenario: as the train bound for Patna stood at platform 14 and the one for Jammu at 15, a passenger slipped on the stairs, causing a domino effect and leading to the stampede. A high-level committee is investigating. Train schedules remain unchanged, and additional trains have been deployed to manage the normal whoosh of passengers. The rail operations are now smoothly running on time.
Source: aajtak
Delhi Police to Review CCTV Footage
The Delhi Police is also active in this inquiry, examining the station's CCTV footage. Sources have mentioned that the police will analyze these footages to reconstruct the pre-stampede scenario, identifying key causative elements.
Previous Chaos in Prayagraj
This marks the second Kumbh Mela-related stampede in 17 days, following the deadly crush on January 29 during the Mauni Amavasya in Prayagraj, claiming 30 lives. Onlookers at the New Delhi station, overwhelmed by grief, witnessed another 18 casualties, predominately from Bihar and Delhi.
Compensation Announcements by Railways and Bihar Government
The Indian Railway has announced compensations: INR 10 lakh for families of the deceased, INR 25 lakh for the seriously injured, and INR 1 lakh for minor injuries. The Bihar government has also pledged compensations, providing INR 2 lakh for families who lost their kin and INR 50,000 for injured residents. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar expressed his grief over the unfortunate incident.
