New Delhi: At least 18 people died and 15 others were injured in a stampede at New Delhi Railway station on Saturday night as massive crowds gathered to board trains for the ongoing Maha Kumbh mela in Prayagraj.
According to eyewitnesses, a huge rush at the station led to the stampede. They added that several passengers also fainted due to suffocation.
The incident occurred on platforms 14 and 15, as thousands of passengers gathered to board trains heading to Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj for the Maha Kumbh festival, one of the largest religious gatherings in the world.
According to reports, the stampede took place around 9:55 p.m., following a surge in crowd numbers. The platforms became overcrowded due to a large number of delayed and cancelled trains.
Railways officials said a crowd kept building up at platform number 14, from where the Prayagraj Express was set to depart.
Two other Prayagraj-bound trains, the Swatantrata Senani Express and the Bhubaneshwar Rajdhani, which were set to leave from the station were delayed, which worsened the crowding.
Delhi’s acting chief minister Atishi confirmed the deaths and expressed grief over the tragedy, offering condolences to the victims’ families.
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Eyewitnesses described a chaotic scene of severe crowding, with passengers struggling to breathe in the overcrowded conditions.
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.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 15, 2025
Expressing sorrow over the loss of lives in the stampede, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a post on X (formerly Twitter) 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.”
