18 people died and 40 were injured in a major railway stampede at the New Delhi railway station on Saturday night. The main reason for the accident is being attributed to the increase in the number of devotees who had gathered to attend the Maha Kumbh Mela 2025. As the railway authorities and NDRF personnel have stepped up rescue operations, here are the full details of the incident, causes and measures taken.
How did the Railway Station Crowd Start
According to railway officials, the platform of two trains, Prayagraj Express (Platform 12) and Swachh Bharat Express (Platform 16), was suddenly changed, causing passengers to run in both directions. The delay in the Bhubaneswar Rajdhani train further increased the flood of people and the crowd could not be controlled.
Bhupesh’s statement:
“People were crowding on both sides of the FOB (Floor 14). No one was listening; even children were falling down. After searching for my sister for 30 minutes, I found her dead in the hospital. It was a huge shock for me.”
Air Force officer’s warning
Sergeant Ajit Kumar of the Indian Air Force (IAF) said: “When I was returning from the Tri-Services Office, I saw a huge crowd on FOB 14. I warned through loudspeakers. But people did not pay attention. The situation was brought under control only after the arrival of NDRF and railway personnel.”
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Rescue Operations and Response of Officials
NDRF officer Daulat Ram said, “We rescued 35 people in 45 minutes. We sent the passengers in 4 special trains.”
Talking about the incident, Delhi Police DCP Malhotra said, “We had expected the crowd to increase. But the accident happened so quickly. The Railway Board will investigate the incident soon.”
Railway Enforcement Directorate (ED) Dilip Kumar said, “A high-level committee has been formed to look into the issues and take important steps. The victims will be given a compensation of ₹10 lakh.”
Grief and Suffering of Relatives
Pappu from Bihar is talking about this traffic Crowd, my mother died in the railway station traffic Crowd. We went to the Kumbh Mela and did everything and returned home when this tragedy happened.” Rajesh from Uttar Pradesh said, “My younger brother got injured in the stampede. He has been rushed to the hospital. He is saying that this is a very bad incident.
Previous Train Stampede Accidents: A look
Similarly, there have been accidents at the Kumbh Mela. 36 people died in the stampede at the 2013 Prayagraj Kumbh Mela. 210 people died due to stampede during the period 2018-2023.
The incident should be closely investigated and the railway administration, government officials, and the public should work together to prevent such accidents in the future.