Patna (Bihar) [India], February 16: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar expressed his sorrow over the tragic stampede that took place at New Delhi Railway Station on Saturday, which resulted in the deaths of 18 people, including three children, and left many others injured due to severe overcrowding. In response to the incident, Kumar announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh for each of the families of the deceased hailing from Bihar, and Rs 50,000 for those who sustained injuries.
“The death of people in this unfortunate incident at New Delhi Railway Station is extremely sad. I pray to God to give the family members of the deceased the strength to bear this sorrow. I have instructed the provision of Rs 2 lakh ex-gratia to the families of the deceased from Bihar and Rs 50,000 to the injured from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund. I wish the injured a speedy recovery,” Kumar, who also leads the Janata Dal (United), posted on X.
Former Union Railway Minister and RJD Chief Lalu Prasad Yadav also expressed his condolences on Sunday, attributing the stampede to mismanagement by the Indian Railways. “This incident is very unfortunate, and I offer my condolences to the victims. This is a mismanagement by the Railway that led to the loss of so many lives. The Railway Minister should take responsibility,” Yadav told ANI.
When asked about measures for crowd management at the Maha Kumbh, Yadav commented, “Kumbh has no meaning. Kumbh is useless.”
The stampede occurred around 10 pm as thousands of devotees were heading to Prayagraj for the Maha Kumbh. This caused severe overcrowding at New Delhi Railway Station. According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Railway, KPS Malhotra, the incident took place 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.
Eyewitnesses described chaotic scenes, with one stating that the crowd surged from both sides after an announcement about a platform change, triggering the stampede. Another eyewitness recounted the horror, saying that the crowd grew uncontrollable, even though administration and NDRF personnel were present.
Sources from Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital (RML) confirmed that the majority of the deceased brought to the hospital had injuries to their chest and abdomen areas, with asphyxia being the likely cause of death. RML’s Medical Superintendent, Dr. Ajay Shukla, stated, “We received five bodies, one male aged 25 years and four females – three in their thirties and one aged 70 years… Four bodies have been handed over to their families.”
At Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narain Hospital (LNJP), sources indicated that most of the victims who sustained injuries had lower limb injuries, while others suffered bone fractures.
The Indian Railways announced compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the families of the deceased and Rs 2.5 lakh for those seriously injured in the stampede. Those with minor injuries will receive Rs 1 lakh as compensation.