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‘We carried bodies on carts': New Delhi station porter recounts deadly stampede
Officials attributed the deadly stampede to an overwhelming rush of passengers waiting to board trains for Prayagraj, from New Delhi Railway Station.
After a deadly stampede at New Delhi Railway Station killed at least 18 and injured several others on Saturday, a railway porter recounted the horrific experience of transporting bodies to ambulances using handcarts amid the chaos.
A porter at the station told ANI, “I have been working as a coolie since 1981, but I never saw a crowd like this before. Prayagraj Special was supposed to leave from platform number 12, but it was shifted to platform number 16. When the crowd waiting at Platform 12 and the crowd waiting outside tried to reach Platform 16, people started colliding and fell on the escalator and stairs. Several coolies gathered there to stop the crowd. We took at least 15 bodies and loaded them in an ambulance. There were only shoes and clothes on the platform. When the crowd waiting at Platform 12 and the crowd from outside tried to reach Platform 16, people started colliding and fell on the escalator and stairs. We called police, fire tenders, and 3-4 ambulances reached there, and people were taken to the hospital.”
Krishna Kumar Jogi, another porter at the station, described the situation to PTI, saying that the crowd surged when a train bound for Prayagraj arrived. “A massive crowd gathered on the (footover) bridge. People were packed so tightly that many suffocated. Around 10-15 people lost their lives right there,” he claimed.
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“I witnessed the entire incident. We carried dead bodies from platform numbers 14 and 15 to the ambulance,” he added.
According to him, children and women were among those crushed in the crowd, struggling to breathe due to suffocation.
Recalling the distressing scene, Balram, another porter, said, "We carried dead bodies on handcarts, the same ones we use for luggage. In my 15 years as a porter, I have never seen such a massive crowd."
Another porter mentioned that the crowd swelled around 9.30 pm on Saturday when the Prayagraj-bound train was at the platform.
"People's shoes, slippers, and other belongings were scattered everywhere. We pulled out many children and elderly individuals from the chaos," he said.
Also Read | Delhi police release names of 18 people killed in stampede at railway station
What led to the stampede?
The stampede occurred around 10 pm on Saturday as thousands of devotees were heading to Prayagraj for the Maha Kumbh 2025 festival, leading to severe overcrowding at the station.
Northern Railway's Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) Himanshu Upadhyay, explaining the cause of the incident, stated on Sunday, "Some people who were coming down from the footover bridge towards platform numbers 14 and 15 using stairs slipped and fell on others."
Officials attributed the stampede to an overwhelming rush of passengers waiting to board trains for Prayagraj, where the Maha Kumbh is underway, from platforms 14 and 15.
The death toll has risen to 18, while more than a dozen others have sustained injuries.
The Railways has announced a compensation of ₹10 lakh for the next of kin of those who lost their lives in the stampede. Those seriously injured will receive ₹2.5 lakh, while ₹1 lakh will be provided to those with minor injuries.
On Sunday, the Railways named two senior officials who will be part of the inquiry committee investigating the stampede at New Delhi Railway Station.
The committee consists of Narsingh Deo, Principal Chief Commercial Manager, Northern Railway, and Pankaj Gangwar, Principal Chief Security Commissioner, Northern Railway.
The panel, which has begun its inquiry, has ordered the preservation of all video footage from New Delhi Railway Station for examination.
(With ANI, PTI inputs)
