Delhi Railway Station stampede: The Delhi Police on Sunday said initial investigation revealed that the deadly stampede at New Delhi Railway Station occurred due to passenger confusion between the ‘Prayagraj Express’ and ‘Prayagraj Special,’ leading to panic over missing their train, as per the sources.
At least 18 people were killed and more than a dozen injured in a stampede at the New Delhi Railway Station on Saturday night. The incident happened around 10 pm when thousands of devotees were heading to Prayagraj for the Maha Kumbh 2025 festival, causing severe overcrowding at the station.
What preliminary investigation reveals?
According to the preliminary investigation, the confusion happened because of the announcement of the trains having the same initial name ‘Prayagraj’. The announcement that the Prayagraj Special would arrive at Platform 16 created panic among passengers who were waiting for the Prayagraj Express at Platform 14.
Confused passengers who couldn’t board their train at Platform 14 assumed it was arriving at Platform 16, triggering overcrowding and a deadly stampede. General ticket holders rushed towards Platforms 12, 13, and 14, further worsening the chaos and congestion.
Additionally, there were four trains heading to Prayagraj, out of which three were delayed, causing an unexpected overcrowding, said the police source.
A witness also told PTI, “There was confusion among the passengers regarding the train names and the change of platforms of the trains. Which ultimately led to the tragedy.”
Notably, at the time of the stampede, the train placement at New Delhi Railway Station was as follows: Prayagraj Express at Platform 14, Magadh Express at Platform 12, Swatantrata Senani Express at Platform 13, and Bhubaneswar Rajdhani at Platform 15, with the latter three trains running delayed via Kumbh.
Two-member panel formed to probe stampede
A two-member committee has been formed to investigate the stampede at the New Delhi Railway Station on February 15, in which 18 people died and several sustained injuries . The committee comprises Narsingh Deo, Northern Railway’s Principal Chief Commercial Manager (PCCM), and Pankaj Gangwar, its Principal Chief Safety Commissioner (PCSC), the railways said on Sunday.
The committee has initiated a High-Level Inquiry (HAG) into the incident, the Railways said. As part of the investigation, the committee has ordered securing of all video footage from the Railway Station to aid in the probe.
(With agencies input)
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