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At least 18 people were killed in a massive stampede at the New Delhi Railway Station on Saturday night. The crowd crush occurred due to the large number of passengers headed for the Maha Kumbh 2025 mela in Prayagraj.
As per the preliminary investigation, Delhi Police have stated that the stampede may have occurred due to the confusion caused by the train announcements.
The announcement of the 'Prayagraj Special' arriving at Platform 16 led to confusion among the waiting passengers because the Prayagraj Express was already at Platform 14.
People who were reaching Platform 14 thought their train was arriving at Platform 16 and they rushed towards it, leading to the stampede, the sources told PTI.
As a stampede at the New Delhi Railway Station on Saturday night claimed 18 lives, survivors of the tragic incident on Sunday recalled the horrors that unfolded before their eyes.
A daily wage labourer from Prayagraj presently living in Noida, Anirudh had been trying to book a ticket to his hometown for days. Unable to secure one due to the huge rush of people heading to Prayagraj for the Maha Kumbh, he opted for a general ticket.
Recalling the horrors of Saturday night, Anirudh said, "No one was walking; people were just pushing each other to move ahead. I saw women falling to the ground and others trampling over them. People didn't even realise they were walking over human beings who were alive."
As per Anirudh, the station was crowded but there was space to sit till 9 PM. After this, an an announcement was made – he was unsure whether it was for a train to Prayagraj or another destination – people suddenly started running.
“I saw women falling to the ground right in front of me. There was chaos, with people crying for help,” he said. A frequent traveller to Prayagraj, Anirudh described the situation as uncontrollable, with people screaming that someone was trapped underneath the crowd.
The porters and the bystanders tried to pull out those who had fallen down but the rush was so intense that little could be done, he said.
The Aam Aadmi Party Sunday demanded adequate compensation for the victims of the stampede at New Delhi railway station as it accused the government of trying to cover up the incident that claimed 18 lives and rendered several injured.
At a press conference, AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh, citing witnesses, alleged an announcement of platform change for trains was the reason behind the stampede.
"It is being said that an announcement was made about a train's platform change from 12 to 14. That was also the cause of the stampede. Was railways not aware that such an announcement may cause a stampede?" Singh posed.
The senior AAP leader slammed the BJP government accusing it of trying to cover up the incident.
Delhi Police has found in its initial investigation the deadly stampede at the New Delhi Railway Station happened as passengers got confused between 'Prayagraj Express and Prayagraj Special', and thought they might miss their train, police sources said on Sunday.
According to the preliminary investigation, the confusion happened because of the announcement of the trains having same initial name 'Prayagraj', said the sources.
The announcement of the 'Prayagraj Special' arriving at Platform 16 led to confusion among the waiting passengers because the Prayagraj Express was already at Platform 14.
People who were reaching Platform 14 thought their train was arriving at Platform 16 and they rushed towards it, leading to the stampede, the sources said.
(via PTI)
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has expressed grief over the loss of lives in the stampede at the New Delhi Railway Station, terming it as "heartbreaking".
In a post on X in Hindi late Saturday night, he said, "The loss of lives in the accident at New Delhi Railway Station is extremely sad and heart-breaking. My condolences are with the bereaved families."
"Prayers to Lord Shri Ram to grant salvation to the departed souls, strength to the bereaved families to bear this immense sorrow and speedy recovery to the injured," he said.
Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya also termed the incident as sad.
In a post on X in Hindi, Maurya said, "Very sad news has been received about the casualties of many people in the accident at New Delhi Railway Station. Prayers to God to provide speedy recovery to those injured in the accident and give place to the departed souls in his feet. Om Shanti."
(via PTI)
At 9:55pm on February 15, 2025, a stampede at New Delhi Railway Station resulted in 18 deaths—including 11 women and five children—and many more injured.
The incident occurred on platforms 14 and 15 when a massive crowd gathered to board the train, the Prayagraj Express, a special service for the ongoing Maha Kumbh festival.
Reportedly the situation escalated when an announcement regarding a platform change led to confusion among the crowd. As passengers hurried to the newly assigned platform, some slipped while descending a footbridge connecting the platforms, triggering a domino effect that culminated in the fatal stampede.
Read Outlook's Ground Report on the stampede here.
A day after the stampede, security and police personnel are helping passengers board trains at the New Delhi Railway Station.
"...As of now, Prayagraj Special will run from platform number 16, and then Vande Bharat will run. Let railways manage that show, we will do our work. We have sufficient deployment here," DCP Railway KPS Malhotra told reporters.
As per Delhi Police, the confusion happened because of the announcement of the trains having the same initial name starting with 'Prayagraj'. The announcement of the Prayagraj Special arriving at Platform 16 led to confusion because the Prayagraj Express was already at Platform 14. People who couldn't reach to their train at Platform 14 thought their train was arriving at Platform 16 leading to the stampede. Additionally, there were 4 trains heading to Prayagraj, out of which 3 were delayed, causing unexpected overcrowding: Delhi Police
(Source: ANI)
After the deadly stampede at New Delhi Railway Station on Saturday, security arrangements have been upgraded at railway stations in Prayagraj.
DCP Raveena Tyagi on security arrangements says, “We are at Charbagh railway station. Special trains are running from here to Prayagraj (for Maha Kumbh). To manage the crowd properly, local police, RPF, and GRP are working together as a team.”
Outlook spoke to one eyewitness, Arun Gupta, a 38-year-old vendor who was selling food on the platform at that time. Kumar said that while the platform was excessively crowded—over 1500 general tickets were sold for the express train—the jostling began when rumours spread that the Express was not stopping on platform 14 as thought by the devotees. “They all rushed to the connecting bridge, which is very flimsy to begin with, and it was swaying as people pushed on to each other,” says Gupta.
Ajay, a 31-year-old cleaner who showed up to work today at 6 am, says the night cleaning crew was hosing down the tracks and platform when he arrived at work. Click here to read full story
At least 18 people have died in a stampede that occurred on the New Delhi Railway Station on Saturday night after two trains to Prayagraj, where Kumbh is being held, were cancelled.
According to PTI, station porter Krishna Kumar Jogi said the commotion started when a Prayagraj-bound train arrived. "People were packed so tightly on the foot-over bridge that many suffocated. Around 10-15 died on the spot," he said. He added that he helped carry bodies from platforms 14 and 15 to ambulances.
This is among the many stampedes in recent times. Outlook revisits past incidents. Click here for full story
38-year-old Pinky Devi was one of those who tragically lost her life in the New Delhi Railway station stampede on Saturday. Her family claims that the lack of security and inadequate administrative arrangements contributed to the deadly accident.
Thirteen family members, including Pinki Devi,were going to Prayagraj for Mahakumbh Mela. Out of 13, six members were caught in the stampede at the railway station.
One relative, who stayed behind, received a call at 8:30 pm and rushed to LNJP Hospital. Pinky Devi leaves behind two children, a son and a daughter. Her cremation is currently being carried out.
Shahnaz Parveen from Outlook India reports.
At 9:55 PM on February 15, a stampede at New Delhi Railway Station left at least 18 dead and over a dozen injured. Overcrowding on platforms 14-15 occurred as passengers rushed to board trains to Prayagraj for the Maha Kumbh.
Avantika Mehta fom Outlook India reports directly from Platform 14 of New Delhi Railway Station.
Congress representative Supriya Shrinate slammed the railway ministry over the stampede that happened at the New Delhi Railway Station. She questioned the conclusions of the safety review meeting that had happened just few hours before the accident on Saturday night.
On Saturday, a massive stampede occurred at the New Delhi Railway Station. The crowd crush took place at Platform 14 during the announcement for Prayagraj Express. At least 18 people have been killed due to the stampede.
This is the third stampede recorded during the Maha Kumbh 2025, and several concerns have been raised regarding the overall management of all. However, this incident at New Delhi Railway Station is a flashback to the 2013 Allahabad Railway Station disaster.
What Happened In 2013? Click here to know
“This time, an unprecedented crowd has gathered for the Maha Kumbh, and we are running a record number of special trains to serve everyone. A tragic incident occurred on the night of February 15. The Prayagraj Express was scheduled to arrive at platform number 14, and a large number of devotees were present there. Meanwhile, we had planned to operate a special train from platform 12. As people started moving from platform 14 to platform 12, some slipped on the stairs, which possibly led to the unfortunate stampede. We lost 18 lives, and 13 others were injured,” Northern Railways CPRO, Himanshu Shekhar said in a statement to PTI.
Hours after a stampede at the New Delhi Railway Station claimed at least 18 lives, railway staff worked through the night to clear the horrific remains of the tragic incident.
Shoes, torn bags, scattered clothes, and abandoned food lay across platforms 14 and 15 -- serving as grim reminder of the chaos that unfolded just hours earlier.
By Sunday morning, workers were seen sweeping away the debris, collecting personal belongings, to restore normalcy at the busy station, but the tragedy left scars that could not be so easily erased.
A railway staffer, who spent hours clearing the wreckage, described the scene as "one of the worst" he ever witnessed.
"There were belongings everywhere' -- slippers without their pairs, half-eaten food, and even a child's school bag. People had no time to pick up their things; they just ran for their lives," he said.
The eerie sight of personal items scattered across the platforms was a painful reminder of the lives lost and the ones disrupted.
The stampede occurred around 9:55 pm on Saturday night when thousands of passengers, mostly Maha Kumbh pilgrims, crowded the station to board trains to Prayagraj.
(Source: PTI)
Here’s what one of two Inquiry committee members, Narsingh said after inspecting the site:
“The Railway Ministry has formed a high-level inquiry committee. This committee includes me, Narsingh (BCCM, Northern Railway), and Security Commissioner Shri Gangwar. We have started our investigation this morning. We are reviewing CCTV footage and conducting a thorough inquiry. We have also inspected the site and will speak to witnesses to understand the sequence of events. Once the report is prepared, we will be able to provide more details. Every effort will be made to ensure that such incidents do not happen again.”
(Source: PTI)
Railways on Sunday announced the names of two high administrative group officials, who will be part of the inquiry committee constituted to probe the stampede at the New Delhi Railway station.
Reports said that Narsingh Deo, Principal Chief Commercial Manager, Northern Railway and Pankaj Gangwar, Principal Chief Security Commissioner, Northern Railway are the members of the committee, the railways said.
The committee, which has commenced it inquiry, gave orders to secure all video footage of the New Delhi Railway Station.
Body of one of the victims of the Delhi stampede, Sangeeta Mali, 34, leaving RML hospital. Mali was the resident of Bhiwani in Haryana.
Top officials have started reaching the New Delhi railway station, Avantika Mehta reports. The envoy for the special commissioner has also arrived and a meeting on the incident is underway.
Northern Railway Chief Public Relation Officers (CPRO) Himanshu Shekhar said that several people slipped from the foot over bridge (FoB) which led to the incident. "When this incident happened, Patna bound Magadh express and Jammu bound Uttar Sampark Kranti were at the platform number 14 and 15 respectively. During this time, several passengers slipped and fell from the foot over bridge at platform 14 and 15 and later the incident happened," Shekhar said.
A total of ten bodies have been brought to the mortuary of Maulana Azad Medical College, Outlook's Shahnaz Parveen reports. All the bodies have been taken away under heavy police security outside the main and the mortuary gate.
Hours after the stampede at the New Delhi railway station, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw leaves from Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s residence.
Heavy police deployment at each platform in the railway station; troops from Delhi police, Outlook's Avantika Mehta reports from the ground. Other than that, business as usual in the railway station; cries of Jai Mahalumbh resounding in the platforms as well.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday expressed grief over the deaths in a stampede at New Delhi railway station, and announced ex gratia for the kin of the deceased hailing from the eastern state, PTI reported.
Addressing a press conference in Mumbai, PTI reported that Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said, “It’s a failure of the authority. Maha Kumbh is a holy festival. People will come in large numbers (in Prayagraj) but BJP took the control of it for the party’s campaign. They invited 50 crore people but what was the arrangement?... People were road arrested for hours. People have died in stampede. More than 60,000 people are missing. Who will find them?”
A lady arrived at LNJP Hospital to collect the mortal remains of her relative says, "Our relative was going to Bihar, suddenly huge crowding happened. The train was to come at platform number 12, suddenly there was announcement that it is coming on platform number 14, a stampede occurred. She was crushed by people," PTI reported.
Delhi Police Sunday launched an investigation into the stampede at New Delhi Railway Station that killed at least 18 people, saying it will analyse CCTV footage to determine what transpired before the chaos erupted, PTI reported.
"Our main target is to investigate the main cause which caused the stampede. We will collect all data of CCTV footage and announcements done during that time," a police official said.
A police official spoke to PTI and said that a wrong announcement about change of platforms may have caused a confusion and led to the stampede.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has expressed grief over the loss of lives in the stampede at the New Delhi Railway Station, terming it as "heartbreaking".
In a post on X in Hindi late Saturday night, he said, "The loss of lives in the accident at New Delhi Railway Station is extremely sad and heart-breaking. My condolences are with the bereaved families."
"Prayers to Lord Shri Ram to grant salvation to the departed souls, strength to the bereaved families to bear this immense sorrow and speedy recovery to the injured," he said.
Expressing condolences over the deaths at New Delhi Railway Station following a stampede, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Sunday demanded an independent, judicially-monitored SIT to investigate the tragedy.
In a post on X, the Hyderabad Lok Sabha MP also sought an independent inquiry into the “systemic failures” of the Indian Railways.
“My deepest condolences to the loved ones of those who died in the New Delhi Railway Station stampede. This was an avoidable tragedy.
The BJP government is trying to cover up what happened. This is what needs to be done instead:
1. Appointing an independent, judicially-monitored SIT to investigate the tragedy
2. An independent inquiry into the systemic failures of the Indian Railways,” he said in the post.
The stampede at the New Delhi railway station was the second such stampede related to Mahakumbh 2025. On January 29, at least 30 people have lost their lives and 60 others have been injured in the stampede at the Maha Kumbh venue in Prayagraj. Reports also suggested that the death count could be more.
As per reports, Indian Railways has announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the families of those who lost their lives in the New Delhi Railway Station stampede. Additionally, Rs 2.5 lakh will be given to those seriously injured, while those with minor injuries will receive Rs 1 lakh.
Hours after a stampede broke out at New Delhi railway station, reports indicated that a high level probe has been ordered.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, in a post on X, said that the government is insensitive towards such incidents.
"The news of several people dying and many getting injured due to the stampede at New Delhi Railway Station is extremely sad and distressing. I express my deepest condolences to the bereaved families and hope for the speedy recovery of the injured
This incident once again highlights the failure of the Railways and the insensitivity of the government. Considering the large number of devotees going to Prayagraj, better arrangements should have been made at the station.The government and administration should ensure that no one has to lose their life due to mismanagement and negligence," Gandhi said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a post on X grieved the deaths.
"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," he said.
An eyewitness, an Indian Air Force (IAF) sergeant on Sunday recounted that despite announcements and efforts to convince people to avoid gathering in large numbers, the crowd remained unmanageable. He said the administration attempted to control the crowd, but people didn't listen.
Speaking to the news agency ANI, Ajit said, "We have a tri-service office at the railway station. When I was returning after my duty, I couldn't go as there was a huge crowd... I tried to convince people and also made announcements appealing to people 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."
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday slammed the BJP-led Centre over the stampede at New Delhi Railway Station, demanding greater transparency and accountability in handling such incidents.
He urged the government to disclose the exact number of deaths and injuries, along with details of missing individuals.
"We demand that the number of dead and injured be declared as soon as possible and the identity of the missing people should also be ensured," Kharge posted on X.
President Droupadi Murmu on Sunday extended condolences following the deaths of 16 people and multiple injuries in a stampede on Saturday night. The incident occurred due to a massive crowd travelling to the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh.
In a tweet from Rashtrapati Bhavan, she said, “Deeply anguished to know about the loss of lives in a stampede at New Delhi Railway station. I extend my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and pray for speedy recovery of those injured.”
In an official statement, the deputy commissioner of police (railway) said platform number 14 was already very crowded when the Prayagraj Express train was waiting there for its departure.
The officer said Swatantra Senani Express and Bhubaneshwar Rajdhani Express were delayed and the passengers of these trains were also present on platform numbers 12, 13 and 14.
A stampede broke out at New Delhi Railway station around 9.55 PM on February 15 killing at least 18 people and leaving more than a dozen injured. The crowd of passengers were waiting to board trains to Prayagraj -- where the Maha Kumbh is underway -- on platform numbers 14 and 15 of the station.
Railways officials said a crowd kept building up at platform number 14, from where the Prayagraj Express was set to depart. The crowd had gathered to board trains to the Maha Kumbh mela in Prayagraj. Two other Prayagraj-bound trains, the Swatantrata Senani Express and the Bhubaneshwar Rajdhani, which were set to leave from the station were delayed, which worsened the crowding.
One of the victims told reporters that his mother had died in the stampede. He said, "We were travelling to our home in Chhapra, Bihar, in a group, but my mother lost her life in the chaos. People were pushing each other." He added, "The doctor has confirmed to us that my mother has died." Another family member of the deceased, a woman, collapsed in grief.