Stampede At New Delhi Railway Station: What Led To The Panic?

The Delhi Police released a list of the deceased and have launched an investigation into the incident. Officials stated that CCTV footage from the scene will be reviewed to determine what led to the deadly chaos.

The incident took place late Saturday night when a massive rush of passengers attempted to board trains heading to Prayagraj for the Maha Kumbh.

Stampede At New Delhi Railway Station

A stampede at New Delhi railway station on Saturday resulted in the tragic deaths of 18 people, raising serious concerns about crowd management at the station. The incident occurred at 10 pm near platforms 13 and 14, reportedly triggered by a surge of passengers due to train delays. The situation worsened when an announcement about a special train to Prayagraj caused panic, leading to chaos and overcrowding.

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What Led To The Panic?

1. Platform Change Announcement: According to eyewitnesses, a last-minute platform change announcement sparked confusion and panic among passengers. The sudden shift led to a rush as people hurried to reach the newly allocated platform. As per NDTV, this last-minute directive contributed to the growing surge.

2. Overselling of Tickets:Overselling of Tickets: Railway authorities disclosed that approximately 1500 general tickets were sold per hour, far exceeding the station's capacity. This overselling contributed significantly to the overcrowded situation, which ultimately led to the stampede.

3. Lack of Effective Crowd Control: Despite anticipating a surge in passengers due to the Maha Kumbh festival, there was a notable absence of proper crowd control measures. Eyewitnesses reported that while announcements were made to manage the crowd, the efforts failed to prevent the escalation, leading to a complete loss of control. As per NDTV, this lack of preparedness contributed to the disastrous outcome.

4. Delays in Train Departures: The delayed trains, including the Swatantrata Senani Express and Bhubaneswar Rajdhani, led to passengers crowding platforms 12, 13, and 14. The concentration of passengers on platform 14, where the Prayagraj Express was stationed, escalated the stampede as individuals from all delayed trains rushed to board.

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5.False Rumours of a Bridge Collapse: As panic escalated, rumours of a bridge collapse began to spread among the crowd. This false information fueled the fear and anxiety, leading to even more chaos as passengers pushed each other in an attempt to escape the supposed danger.

In the wake of the tragedy, the Railway Board has formed a high-level, two-tier committee to investigate the incident. The Executive Director of Information & Publicity of the Railway Board, Dilip Kumar, assured that the objective of the investigation was to determine the causes and suggest preventive measures. As per NDTV, he confirmed that the situation had been brought under control, and train operations have now resumed normally.

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