On February 15, an incident broke out at New Delhi Railway Station in a stampede, in which at least 18 people were reported to have been killed and more injured. According to several media reports, 11 women and 5 children lost their lives in this chaos that happened around 8 pm on platforms 14 and 15 of the station.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his distress over the stampede. He offered condolences to the families who lost their loved ones and also to those injured in this chaos. He also assured that authorities are providing assistance to those affected by the incident.
The railway has confirmed that the situation is under control, and four fire tenders were rushed to the site. “The situation is under control at New Delhi Railway Station (NDLS). Delhi police and RPF have arrived. Injured have been taken to the hospital. And special trains are being run to manage the sudden rush,” Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on X.
What led to the stampede?
This situation has emerged due to the delayed train departures and the sales of approximately 1500 general tickets, as passengers gathered in a massive crowd, leading to this stampede, as officials said. Police reported that Platforms 14 and 15 were packed with people waiting to board the delayed Swatantrata Senani and Bhubaneswar Rajdhani trains.
However, people were also waiting to board towards Prayagraj for Maha Kumbh, as a special train was scheduled to depart from platform 14 at 10:10pm, which also led to a raised crowd at the platform.
Chief Public Relation Officer (CPRO) of Northern Railway, Himanshu Shekhar Upadhyay, said that a passenger running towards platforms 14-15 slipped and tumbled on the stairs, causing a chain reaction that affected several other passengers standing behind him, which led to the deadly stampede.
What Next?
To ensure transparency, officially a two-member high-level committee has been formed to investigate the matter. And get the whole perspective behind this stampede. This situation is now under control as passengers have been accommodated on special trains.
Compensation Announced For Deceased
After this deadly stampede, the railway announced an assistance of Rs 10 lakh for the families who lost their loved ones in the stampede. A compensation of Rs 2.5 lakh was announced for the ones who were injured and 1 lakh for the ones who sustained minor injuries.
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