Unstoppable rush! New Delhi railway station crowded again after stampede incident

Overcrowding at New Delhi railway station last night made people recall the stampede that occurred on February 15 during the Maha Kumbh mela rush when 18 persons lost their lives. Police and railway officials confirmed that several trains being delayed last night resulted in a heavy rush of passengers at platforms 12 and 13 of the New Delhi railway station between 9pm.

Crowds Surge Once More

Report asserted that passengers climbed over barricades, cut queues to access their respective platforms. The timing of this event is unknown.  Police said the departure of the four trains was delayed — Shiv Ganga Express (scheduled to leave 8.05pm), Jammu Rajdhani Express (scheduled to leave 9.25pm), Lucknow Mail (scheduled to leave 10pm), and Magadh Express (scheduled to leave 9.05pm). Compounding the confusion was the Swatantrata Senani Express, which was to leave at 9.15pm but was already on the platform.

Lessons from the Stampede

The officials said the situation was brought under control quickly to prevent a stampede like situation and no one was injured. "Because of the cumulative effect of the delays, there was huge passenger congestion on platforms 12 and 13. Crowd control measures had to be taken at once to prevent any untoward incident," said an official. One of the RPF officials said, "We had reached the platform as a precaution. But nothing took place, we simply drove the crowd back as the trains began arriving."

Stampede at Maha Kumbh

Alleged mismanagement in Prayagraj-bound train announcements brought huge confusion to the passengers, who were stamped on February 15 when the Maha Kumbh was ongoing and all railway stations all over the country were experiencing rush owing to the pilgrimage. 18 people lost their lives in the accident, officials had claimed, but railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw did not reveal the casualty figures earlier this month in a Parliament session. As per the Centre, Rs 2.01 crore was paid as compensation to 33 families who were hit by the stampede, out of which Rs10 lakh was given to the kin of the victims. Rs2.5 lakh was also given to those with serious injuries, and Rs1 lakh each was given to those with minor injuries.