The village of Kothia in Samastipur district, Bihar, is steeped in sorrow. A tragic stampede at Delhi railway station has taken the lives of three members of a single family. As the news spread, the village was shrouded in mourning and the family inconsolable.
The victims, Vijay Sah, his wife Krishna Devi, and their granddaughter Suruchi Kumari, had traveled to Delhi for a holy dip at the confluence during the Maha Kumbh. Vijay Sah's son, Mukesh Kumar, works in the capital dealing in scrap. The family stayed with him before setting out for Prayagraj on February 15, where they got caught in a crowd at the Delhi station. The ensuing chaos led to the tragic death of all three.
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Family members reported that around 1 AM, Mukesh Kumar called his sister Kajal to request their parents' identification cards but didn't disclose the tragic event. The family learned about the tragedy the following morning when Manoj Kumar Sah, their son-in-law, arrived in Kothia.
Family Departs Delhi with Bodies of the Deceased
Vijay Sah’s son, Mukesh Kumar, informed his brother-in-law, Manoj Kumar Sah, via phone that they were en route to Samastipur with the bodies in an ambulance. The family now waits for the return of their loved ones' remains. While the railway authorities have announced compensation for the victims' families, the disaster has caused irreparable damage to many families. Questions are being raised about the local and railway administration’s preparedness in handling such large crowds.
