Stampede triggered by Kumbh rush kills 18 at Delhi railway station

Eighteen people, including three children, were killed and 10 injured in a stampede at the New Delhi railway station on Saturday evening after passengers headed for Maha Kumbh at Prayagraj thronged the station to board trains.

“Eighteen persons lost their lives; 10 others were injured in the incident at the New Delhi railway station,” the Chief Casualty Medical Officer of LNJP Hospital here told reporters.

The government has ordered a high-level probe into the incident. Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena was the first to confirm the tragedy and paid condolences to the families of the victims.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh mourned the loss of lives. The incident took place around 9 pm when two special trains got delayed and a massive rush of people led to chaos on platform Nos. 14, 15 and 16.

A senior Fire Department official told The Tribune that they received a call at 9.55 pm from the railway station regarding a stampede-like situation on platform Nos. 14, 15 and 16 following which four fire engines were rushed to the spot.

Earlier, the Northern Railway denied any stampede-like situation and termed it a rumour. “There was no stampede. It’s a rumour….,” the chief public relations officer of the Northern Railway said in a statement. The Railways said the situation was under control and the Delhi Police and the RPF had reached the spot and passengers were being evacuated. The L-G spoke to the Chief Secretary and the Delhi Police Commissioner and asked them to address the situation.

“The CS has been asked to invoke Delhi Disaster Management Act measures and deploy relief personnel. All hospitals are in readiness to address related exigencies. Have instructed the CS and the CP to be at the site and take control of the relief measures. I am constantly monitoring the operations,” said Saxena.

Eyewitnesses claimed that the incident occurred when people on an overbridge started running towards the platform on seeing a train arrive at the station.

The rush of people was so huge that even people who had confirmed tickets were unable to board the trains. According to a rough estimate, over 50,000 people had reached the station to go to Prayagraj for the Maha Kumbh.

“I wanted to go to Prayagraj and I had a confirmed seat, but the moment I reached platform No. 16, there was utter chaos following which I ran out of the station,” a passenger, Ashok Kumar, said.

Rajnath Singh took to X to express his condolences. “I am extremely pained by the loss of lives due to the stampede. In this hour of grief, my thoughts are with the bereaved families,” he said.

Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva reached LNJP Hospital to meet the affected families. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw tweeted, “The situation is under control at the railway station...injured have been taken to hospital; special trains being run to evacuate the sudden rush.”

The government ordered a high-level probe into the stampede, the Railway Protection Force DG reached the spot for an inspection to assess the cause behind the sudden surge.