A stampede at New Delhi Railway Station on Saturday night claimed the lives of at least 18 people and left several others injured. The tragedy occurred due to overcrowding as thousands of devotees rushed to board trains to Prayagraj for the Maha Kumbh 2025 festival. A sudden platform change triggered the chaos.
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.”
“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.
Authorities have released the names of the 18 deceased, which include elderly individuals and children.
Indian Railways has announced financial aid for the victims’ families. The families of the deceased will receive Rs 10 lakh, while those seriously injured will get Rs 2.5 lakh. Individuals with minor injuries will receive Rs 1 lakh.