Eyewitnesses Recount New Delhi Railway Station Stampede: ‘Unprecedented Chaos’

Eyewitnesses Recount New Delhi Railway Station Stampede: A stampede at the New Delhi Railway Station claimed the lives of at least 18 people as thousands of Maha Kumbh devotees gathered to board trains. The death toll continues to increase as the injured persons are being treated at Lok Nayak Jai Prakash (LNJP) Hospital and Lady Hardinge Hospital.

LNJP Chief Casualty Medical Officer Ritu Saxena confirmed 3 children, lost their lives in the stampede at the New Delhi Railway Station while 10 others are injured in the incident. Reports have also said that three people were brought dead to Lady Hardinge hospital in Delhi.

The crowd, which had gathered in hopes of catching trains to the festival, exceeded the station's capacity.

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Videos of the incident showed a massive crowd of passengers rushing through the railway station -- some carrying children on their shoulders, while others struggled with their luggage amid the chaos. Eyewitnesses recounted the horror and some claimed that there were no police personnel to control the crowd at the railway station.

VIDEO | Visuals from platform number 12 and 13 after a stampede-like situation broke out at the New Delhi Railway station, triggering a chaos on platform number 14 and 15.

(Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/n147TvqRQz)#NewDelhi #NewDelhiRailwayStation pic.twitter.com/oxpSBcZt5v

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) February 15, 2025

The massive stampede left thousands trapped at the NDLS as help arrived almost 30-45 minutes later. By then, helpless families tried calling their relatives, resuscitating the victims and calling railway/police officers for help. Most of the victims were women, who were either with friends or family and died due to injuries and/or suffocation.

Describing the unprecedented crowd on Sunday morning, a coolie (porter) at the station, said, “I have never seen anything like this before. Prayagraj Special was supposed to leave from platform 12 but was shifted to platform 16. When the crowd from Platform 12 and those waiting outside rushed towards Platform 16, people started colliding and falling on the escalators and stairs. Several coolies tried to stop the crowd.”

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“We loaded at least 15 bodies into ambulances. The platform was littered with shoes and clothes. We called the police and fire tenders, and 3-4 ambulances arrived to transport the injured to the hospital. However, the police took time to reach the spot and did not provide much help,” he added.

Pappu, a resident of Bihar who lost his mother in the stampede, said, “My mother died in the stampede. We were going to our home…”

Another eyewitness said, “...There was no one to control the crowd... It was announced that the train coming on platform number 12 will come on platform number 16. So the crowd came from both sides and a stampede occurred... some people were taken to the hospital...”

"There was no RPF or police at the station (New Delhi Railway Station)... There was a huge rush at the station... More than 30 people have been injured... My relative has been admitted to the hospital", said another eyewitness.

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