 "Passengers jostle with each other to board a train at the New Delhi railway station on 15 February. AP")
Death toll rises to 18 in the tragic stampede at the New Delhi Railway Station on Saturday night. Chaos ensued after a massive crowd gathered following the announcement of a special train, leading to panic within 15-20 minutes.
The situation escalated after a huge rush of passengers arrived at the station to board the special trains for the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj, several people were injured in the incident. The authorities noted that amid the sudden surge, some passengers fainted, sparking rumours of a stampede-like situation and further intensifying panic.
Giving further updates on the matter, police said that the stampede occurred at 10 pm and the victims who lost their lives in the accident included 14 women and three children. Dr Ritu Saxena, deputy medical superintendent of Lok Nayak Hospital in New Delhi, told AFP that the casualties were mostly due to suffocation.
“They don’t have any open injury. Most [likely died from] hypoxia or maybe some blunt injury but that would only be confirmed after an autopsy. 11 others are injured. Most of them are stable and have orthopaedic injuries,” she said.
PM Modi, Amit Shah mourn the deaths
Soon after the incident, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to send condolences to the victims’ families. “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,” the prime minister wrote in the post.
On Sunday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari also expressed their grief over the deaths caused by the stampede.
“Spoke to Railway Minister Shri Ashwini Vaishnav ji and other concerned officials regarding the accident at New Delhi Railway Station. I spoke to the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi and the Delhi Police Commissioner and instructed them to provide all possible help to everyone. I express my condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in this accident. The injured are being given all possible treatment. I wish them a speedy recovery,” Shah said in his post.
It is pertinent to note that the six-week Kumbh Mela is known as the single biggest milestone in the Hindu religious calendar. Officials have said that bout 500 million devotees have already visited the festival since it began last month. However, the event is known for devastating stampedes.
Back in 1954, more than 400 people died after they were trampled or drowned on a single day of the festival, it was one of the largest tolls in a crowd-related disaster globally.
With inputs from agencies.