New Delhi railway station sees ‘heavy rush’ again after stampede: What happened last night?
A PTI report claimed that passengers scaled barricades, jumped queues to reach their respective platforms. The exact time of this development remains unclear
Heavy rush at the New Delhi railway station on Sunday night reminded people of the stampede on February 15 during the Maha Kumbh mela rush which killed 18 people.
Police and railway officials said that delay of several trains on Sunday night led to a heavy rush of passengers at platforms 12 and 13 at the New Delhi railway station around 9pm.
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What happened at New Delhi Railway Station last night?
A PTI report claimed that passengers scaled barricades, jumped queues to reach their respective platforms. The exact time of this development remains unclear.
The Delhi police said it quickly implemented crowd control measures.
According to police, the departure of four trains got delayed — the Shiv Ganga Express (scheduled to depart at 8.05pm), the Jammu Rajdhani Express (scheduled departure of 9.25pm), Lucknow Mail (scheduled departure 10pm), and Magadh Express (scheduled departure 9.05pm).
Adding to the confusion was the Swatantrata Senani Express, which was scheduled to depart at 9.15pm but was already occupying the platform.
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Officials said the situation was quickly brought under control to avoid a stampede like situation and no injuries were reported. “Due to the cumulative effect of the delays, there was heavy passenger congestion at platforms 12 and 13. Necessary crowd control measures had to be promptly taken to avoid any untoward incident,” an official said.
An RPF official said, “We reached the platform as a precautionary measure. But nothing happened, we just dispersed the crowd as the trains started coming.”
Stampede during Maha Kumbh
Alleged mismanagement in the announcements of Prayagraj-bound trains created massive confusion among passengers, leading to a stampede on February 15, when the Maha Kumbh was going on and railway stations across the country were witnessing rush due to the pilgrimage.
Officials had said that 18 people were killed in the incident, but railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw did not disclose the number of casualties earlier this month during a Parliament session.
According to the Centre, a total of ₹2.01 crore was distributed as compensation to 33 families affected by the stampede, including ₹10 lakh to the families of the deceased. Additionally, ₹2.5 lakh was provided to those who suffered serious injuries, while individuals with minor injuries received ₹1 lakh each.
(With inputs from Aheli Das, Hemani Bhandari)
