At least 18 people lost their lives in a tragic stampede at a railway station in New Delhi late Saturday, February 15. The disaster occurred as surging crowds scrambled to catch trains bound for the Kumbh Mela, the world's largest religious gathering. This event, which is a significant occasion on the Hindu religious calendar, has already drawn approximately 500 million devotees since it began last month.
The chaos erupted at New Delhi station when crowds struggled to board trains for the ongoing Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj. This religious festival, held every 12 years, attracts tens of millions of Hindu faithful. Unfortunately, it also has a history of crowd-related disasters. Last month, at least 30 people died in a similar stampede, and in 2013, 36 people were crushed to death during the festival in Prayagraj.
Eyewitness reports suggest that the platform for a special train to Prayagraj was suddenly shifted, leading to confusion and panic among the passengers. As a result, people collided and fell on the escalator and stairs. A porter at the station shared,
"I have been working as a coolie since 1981, but I never saw a crowd like this before."
Additionally, he noted,
"People started colliding and fell on the escalator and stairs."
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his concern over the incident, stating he was "disturbed" by the stampede. In response, Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has ordered a "high-level inquiry" into the causes of this tragic accident.
Dr. Ritu Saxena from Lok Nayak Hospital confirmed,
"I can confirm 15 deaths at the hospital. 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."
Furthermore, she reported,
"There are also 11 others who are injured. Most of them are stable and have orthopaedic injuries."
The Indian Railways had arranged additional special trains from New Delhi to manage the rush of devotees. Despite these measures, the sudden shift of the platform location exacerbated the chaos, leading to this unfortunate event.
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