Day after stampede, Delhi railway station still a picture of chaos

A day after a tragic stampede at New Delhi Railway Station claimed 18 lives, chaotic scenes persisted on Sunday as passengers continued to rush for their trains. Despite the tragedy, crowds thronged the platforms, with passengers boarding and de-boarding trains in a frenzy.

At Platform No. 16, near where the stampede occurred on Saturday night, similar scenes unfolded as the Bihar Samparkranti train arrived. Passengers sprinted toward their coaches, with many using emergency windows to secure seats and throw luggage inside. Families helped elderly relatives, children and women climb into the train, highlighting the desperation to avoid missing their journeys.

Vijay, a platform ticket holder who came to drop off his family, criticised the lack of crowd management. “People are so afraid of missing their trains that they forget everything else. The arrangements for boarding are poor and there’s nothing to stop the rush,” he said.

Seeta, a passenger travelling to Darbhanga, expressed frustration, saying. “What can we do? We earn very little, and it takes months to arrange trips to our hometowns. Unlike others, we don’t get long holidays, so we can’t afford to miss our trains,” she said.

While security personnel had tied ropes along the platforms to control the crowd, passengers complained about inadequate arrangements. “What happened to those 18 persons is heartbreaking and it shouldn’t have happened. The authorities need to ensure proper security and prevent panic in such large crowds,” Seeta added.