18 killed in stampede at New Delhi railway station

The deceased were identified as Aaha Devi, 79, Pinky Devi, 41, Sheela Devi, 50, Vyom, 25, Poonam Devi, 40, Lalita Devi, 35, Suruchi, 11, Krishna Devi, 40, Vijay Sah, 15, Neeraj, 12, Shanti Devi, 40, Pooja Kumar, 8, Sangeeta Malik, Poonam both aged 34, Mamta Jha, 40, Riya Singh, 7, Baby Kumari, 24, and Manoj, 47.

Meanwhile, an eyewitness, an IAF sergeant, recounted on Sunday that despite announcements and efforts to convince people to avoid gathering in large numbers, the crowd remained unmanageable. He said that the administration attempted to control the crowd, but people didn't listen.

Speaking to ANI, Ajit said, "We have a tri-service office at the railway station. When I was returning after my duty, I couldn't go due to the huge crowd... I tried to convince people and also made announcements appealing to avoid gathering on the platform in large numbers. The administration was working hard to prevent any mishap, but no one was listening... I also helped the injured people with the help of one of my friends."

The incident happened around 10 pm when thousands of devotees were heading to Prayagraj for the Maha Kumbh 2025 festival, causing severe overcrowding at the station.

Another eyewitness recounted the horror, saying that the crowd was beyond control. People from the administration and even NDRF personnel were there, but when the crowd exceeded the limit, it was impossible to manage them.

"The crowd was beyond control, people were gathered at the foot over bridge... Such a huge crowd wasn't expected. I have never seen such a massive crowd at the railway station, even during festivals. People from the administration and even NDRF personnel were there, but when the crowd exceeded the limit, it wasn't possible to control them," he said.

One of the victim's brothers, Sanjay, at LNJP hospital, who lost his sister in the stampede, said, "We were 12 people going to Mahakumbh. We hadn't even reached the platform but were at the stairs... My family, including my sister, got stuck in the crowd. We found her after half an hour, and by then, she was dead."

Another eyewitness described the chaos, stating that the crowd came from both sides after an announcement about a train platform change, leading to the stampede.

"There was no one to control the crowd... It was announced that the train coming on platform number 12 would now arrive on platform number 16. So, the crowd came from both sides, and a stampede occurred... some people were taken to the hospital..." he said.

Delays in train departures and the sale of around 1,500 general tickets exacerbated the situation and contributed to the overwhelming crowd.

According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Railway, KPS Malhotra, the incident occurred when a large number of passengers gathered on platform no. 14, where the Prayagraj Express was stationed. Additionally, delays in the departures of the Swatantrata Senani Express and Bhubaneswar Rajdhani led to further congestion at platforms 12, 13, and 14. (ANI)