New Delhi [India]: Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) Chief Mayawati on Sunday held the Railways responsible for the deadly stampede at New Delhi Railway Station, which claimed at least 18 lives and left many others injured.
“It is very sad that due to the serious negligence of the railways, many people died and got injured in a stampede amidst the crowd gathered at New Delhi Railway Station to go to Prayagraj Maha Kumbh,” Mayawati stated in a post on X.
प्रयागराज महाकुंभ जाने के लिए नई दिल्ली रेलवे स्टेशन पर उमड़ी भीड़ के बीच, रेलवे की गंभीर लापरवाही के कारण, मची भगदड़ में काफी लोगों की हुई मौत व घायल होने की घटना अति-दुखद। पीड़ितों के प्रति मेरी गहरी संवेदना। सरकार दोषियों के खिलाफ कार्रवाई तथा पीड़ितों की पूरी मदद भी करे।
— Mayawati (@Mayawati) February 16, 2025
Expressing her condolences, she urged the government to take action. “My deepest condolences to the victims. The government should take action against the culprits and also provide full help to the victims,” she added.
Chaos at the Station
The stampede took place around 10 pm as thousands of devotees crowded the station, trying to reach Prayagraj for the Maha Kumbh 2025 festival. The heavy rush led to overcrowding, which spiraled into chaos.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Railway, KPS Malhotra, confirmed that the incident occurred when a large number of passengers gathered on platform no. 14, where the Prayagraj Express was stationed. Further delays in the departures of the Swatantrata Senani Express and Bhubaneswar Rajdhani caused congestion at platforms 12, 13, and 14.
An eyewitness described the confusion, saying that an unexpected train platform change announcement led to the deadly rush.
“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,” the witness recounted.
Overcrowding and Poor Crowd Management
The situation worsened due to the sale of around 1,500 general tickets, significantly increasing the number of passengers at the station.
Another eyewitness recalled the sheer scale of the crowd and the challenges in managing it.
“The crowd was beyond control; people were gathered at the foot overbridge… 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.
Authorities are now under pressure to review safety measures and prevent such incidents in the future.