On Sunday, an eyewitness, an IAF sergeant, recounted the tragic events that led to the deadly stampede at New Delhi Railway Station. Despite repeated announcements and efforts to avoid large gatherings, the crowd remained unmanageable. He stated that the administration tried to control the situation, but people did not comply.
Speaking to media, Ajit shared, “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.”
The tragic incident, which occurred on Saturday night, claimed the lives of 15 people when thousands of devotees traveling to Prayagraj for the Maha Kumbh 2025 festival caused severe overcrowding at the station.
Another eyewitness described the horror of the situation, saying, “The crowd was beyond the limit, 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 the 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.”
Sanjay, the brother of one of the victims, shared his grief outside LNJP hospital, saying, “We were 12 people going to Mahakumbh. We hadn’t even reached the platform but were at the stairs… My family, including my sister, were stuck in the crowd. We found her after half an hour, and by the time she was dead.”
Another eyewitness detailed how the crowd surged after an announcement regarding a 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 come on platform number 16. So the crowd came from both sides and a stampede occurred…some people were taken to the hospital…”
Train delays and the sale of around 1,500 general tickets exacerbated the situation and led to overwhelming congestion. Pappu, a resident of Bihar’s Patna, tragically lost his mother in the stampede. He shared, “My mother died in the stampede. We were on our way home.”
NDRF Commandant Daulat Ram Chaudhary confirmed the situation was under control, saying, “…The situation is under control now. The injured have been evacuated…We received information about a stampede at platform no. 14 at the station… We are carrying out the rescue operations…”
DCP Railway KPS Malhotra explained that while authorities had anticipated a large crowd, the incident unfolded quickly. “We expected the crowd, but it all happened in a fraction of time, and hence this situation occurred. The fact-finding will be done by the Railways… After inquiry, we will get to know the reason behind the incident.”
The Railway Board, on Sunday, announced the formation of a high-level two-member committee to investigate the cause of the stampede. Dilip Kumar, Executive Director of Information & Publicity (ED/IP), Railway Board, stated, “A two-member high-level committee has been formed to investigate the matter… The situation is under control, and the passengers have been sent by special train… Train movement at the railway station is normal now.”
According to Kumar, the station was experiencing an unusually high volume of passengers, leading the railways to operate four additional special trains. This surge in passengers led to chaos, with reports of people fainting and being hospitalized. To manage the crowd, entry to the railway station was temporarily blocked.
“The number of passengers was relatively very high today at the New Delhi railway station, and so we ran four more special trains. We received information that a few people fainted – they have been admitted to a local hospital. We blocked entry to the railway station for a while, but the situation is under control now,” Kumar added.
DCP Railway KPS Malhotra explained that the stampede occurred when many passengers gathered at platform no. 14, where the Prayagraj Express was stationed. Delays in the departures of the Swatantrata Senani Express and Bhubaneshwar Rajdhani contributed to further congestion at platforms 12, 13, and 14.