New Delhi, February 17
18 people were killed in a stampede at the New Delhi Railway Station, which happened following a surge in the crowd of passengers waiting to board trains for Prayagraj, which is hosting the Maha Kumbh festival.
Delhi Police launched a probe into the stampede, saying that it will analyse CCTV footage to understand the sequence of events before the chaos broke out.
Ministry of Railways announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the deceased’s families, Rs 2.5 lakh for victims with grievous injuries and Rs 1 lakh for those with minor injuries.
Ministry of Railways claimed that is was a “unprecedented rush situation". The railways claimed that aid there was a sudden surge in passengers at around 9:30 pm at New Delhi Railway Station near platforms 13 and 14, which led to rumours of a stampede-like situation, caused panic among the travelers. The situation was later brought under control by easing the congestion.
The panic, however, triggered some individuals to faint, while others got injured, following which they were immediately taken to nearby hospitals by the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and Delhi Police.
The officials further said that when Prayagraj Express was on platform number 14, lots of people were present… Swatantrata Senani Express and Bhubaneshwar Rajdhani were delayed, and passengers of these trains were also present at platforms 12, 13 and 14. As per our information, 1,500 general tickets were sold, which is why the crowd became uncontrollable. There was a stampede-like situation at platform number 14 and near an escalator near platform number 1.
Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena directed the chief secretary to invoke disaster-management measures and deploy relief personnel. He also asked the Delhi Police commissioner to address the situation, and take control of relief measures.
Expressing grief over the loss of lives, Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote on X, “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.”
