The Saturday night stampede at New Delhi Railway Station resulted in the tragic loss of 18 lives, leaving numerous others injured. Our team reached out to the bereaved families to offer condolences. Among the deceased were three family members from Bihar, including an 11-year-old girl who was en route to Kumbh with her grandparents. The news has left the family in deep mourning. The child's father, a driver in Delhi, also lost her grandparents in the incident. Many, like them, who set out for their destinations, were left with only sorrow and overwhelming grief.
A Tribe of Sorrow: Loss and Search
Among the victims was a family from Nawada, who lost a mother and daughter, with their 5-year-old son now missing. Rajkumar Manjhi, the family head, is frantically searching for his son. As they awaited the announcement of platforms, chaos broke loose under the sheer pressure of the crowd. The family’s head, Rajkumar Manjhi, was making his way back to his village, Patwasarai, from New Delhi station with his wife and four children for documentation while working at a brick kiln in Bahadurgarh, Haryana.
Source: aajtak
In the stampede's surge, Rajkumar’s wife Shanti Devi and their 8-year-old daughter Pooja Kumari lost their lives, while their son Avinash Kumar went missing. The family, residents of Bahadurgarh for four years, now faces a locked, desolate home as they wait in bitter anguish for the return of their loved ones' bodies.
Riya’s Tragic Farewell
Similarly, Opil Singh's recounted heartbreak to Rajkumar Manjhi, as he helplessly lost his 7-year-old daughter Riya. Sagarpur's Opil struggled to verbalize his daughter's loss. Overcome with emotion, he described the moment they decided to abandon their plan to Prayagraj, overwhelmed by the chaos on platform number 14. Despite the initial plan redirects, the sudden jostle led to a cascade of events that left their little girl trapped and fatally wounded.
An Unfortunate Journey to MahaKumbh
In this disaster, Mukesh from Samastipur faced heartwrenching loss. He was supposed to travel with his parents and niece, Suruchi, who met their tragic demise. Her grandparents had come from Delhi to take her for an auspicious bath at the MahaKumbh, but the trip turned into a nightmare. Vijay Sah, Krishna Devi, and their granddaughter Suruchi are mourned by their family now returning to Samastipur.
Source: aajtak
Reeling from the tragedy, Mukesh’s family from Kothiya is left in a state of shock. Initially traveling to Prayagraj, the family had spent the prior day resting with their son Mukesh Kumar, who runs a scrap business in Delhi, before being caught in chaos at the station that claimed the lives of Vijay Sah and Krishna Devi.
Pinky Devi Amidst the Chaos
The stampede claimed the life of 38-year-old Pinky Devi from Sangam Vihar en route to Prayagraj to participate in the MahaKumbh. Traveling with 14-15 relatives, including her brother and sister-in-law and children, she left behind a 13-year-old daughter and a 10-year-old son. Despite having reserved tickets, the chaos of the train's platform confusion led to her unfortunate demise.
Despite their attempts, Pinky's relatives, struggling with the catastrophic event, recalled how she was tragically separated from the group while awaiting their train. Her brother Sanjay managed to save his wife and daughter but with a heavy heart, recounted the moment Pinky was lost to the horrifying crowd pressure.
Source: aajtak
Some fortunate enough to escape the stampede made it to their destinations like Prayagraj. These witnesses shared haunting accounts from platform number 9, a somber contrast to platform 14’s terrifying event. Though they reached Prayagraj, the trauma of the previous night lingers.
On that tumultuous Saturday night, thousands of passengers congregated at New Delhi Railway Station, many attempting to catch trains to the MahaKumbh. The sheer crowd combined with platform confusion among passengers intending to board the Prayagraj Express spiraled into chaos. The staggering mix-up amid platform changes unwelcomely trapped passengers, culminating in a disastrous tragedy.
