Bodies were everywhere: Porters recall New Delhi railway station stampede horror

Delhi: The New Delhi Railway Station witnessed a horrifying stampede as thousands rushed to board trains for the Maha Kumbh festival in Prayagraj. With the crowd swelling beyond control, porters found themselves in the grim role of rescuers, carrying the deceased and injured on luggage carts. Survivors and eyewitnesses have blamed poor crowd management and last-minute platform changes for the disaster.
 

Chaos at the capital's busiest hub

New Delhi Railway Station, one of India’s busiest transit points, turned into a scene of mayhem on Friday when an uncontrollable crowd surge led to a deadly stampede, claiming 18 lives and injuring dozens. The incident occurred when thousands of pilgrims, heading to the Maha Kumbh festival in Prayagraj, found themselves caught in an overwhelming rush on platforms 14 and 15.

Porters turn first responders

With emergency responders struggling to reach the injured in time, railway porters stepped in to help. Krishna Kumar Jogi, a porter at the station, described the horror unfolding before him: "There were bodies everywhere. People were screaming, looking for family members. We had no choice but to load them onto handcarts and rush them out."

Another porter, recalling the moment of panic, said: "I have worked here for over 15 years, but I have never seen anything like this. The crowd just wouldn't stop coming."

According to initial reports, a sudden announcement advising passengers to change platforms triggered mass confusion. As people scrambled with their luggage, pushing and shoving led to multiple falls, causing a domino effect in the jam-packed area.

Overcrowding triggers disaster

Authorities have been heavily criticized for the lack of crowd control measures, especially given the anticipated surge of Maha Kumbh pilgrims. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has ordered an inquiry into the incident, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences, stating that steps would be taken to ensure such a tragedy does not happen again.

The heartbreaking event has left porters, passengers, and railway officials shaken, with many calling for better infrastructure and emergency protocols at India's overcrowded railway stations.