Even as the Railways launched an investigation to ascertain the reason behind the stampede at New Delhi Railway Station, the initial probe by the Delhi Police found that the passengers got confused between two trains—Prayagraj Express and Prayagraj Special—and made a mad dash between platforms, fearing they would miss the train.
PTI reported, quoting sources, that the announcement left people confused because the two trains bore the same initial name.
The Prayagraj Express was already on Platform 14 when the Prayagraj Special was arriving on Platform 16.
"There was confusion among the passengers regarding the train names and the change of platforms of the trains. Which ultimately led to the tragedy," a passenger told the news agency.
Moreover, the sources added that three of the four trains heading to Prayagraj were delayed causing an unexpected overcrowding at the station.
#WATCH | Delhi: Sanjay, whose sister Pinky died in the stampede at New Delhi Railway Station, says, "Around 12 of us were going to Prayagraj for Kumbh. We reached the station at 8 pm... When we were walking towards the platform, our family got stuck in the crowd on the stairs. We… pic.twitter.com/omwwlym5dg
— ANI (@ANI) February 16, 2025
At least 18 people, including 11 women and five children, died and several others were injured in the stampede that broke out on Saturday night when thousands of passengers, mostly Maha Kumbh pilgrims, crowded the station to board trains to Prayagraj.
#WATCH | New Delhi Railway Station stampede: An eyewitness and survivor, Gupteshwar Yadav says "...My wife is missing. The last time I saw her was yesterday at around 8:30-9 PM. I went to LNJP Hospital and Lady Hardinge Hospital. I have also filed a complaint at the police… pic.twitter.com/DjQpSFq24x
— ANI (@ANI) February 16, 2025
According to railway authorities, overcrowding was a major factor for the accident as on average 1,500 general tickets were being sold every hour, leading to a surge in passengers that became impossible to manage.
The government has announced Rs 10 lakh compensation for the families of the deceased.
#WATCH | Samastipur, Bihar: Three members of a family died in stampede at New Delhi Railway Station
— ANI (@ANI) February 16, 2025
One of their relatives, Pramod Kumar, says, "Three members of our family had gone to Delhi from here 4-5 days ago. From there, they were going to Kumbh. They died in the stampede… pic.twitter.com/lMitz94v1O
The Mahakumbh Mela, which started on January 13 and will continue till February 26, continues to draw millions of pilgrims from India and the world daily.
On Saturday, the Uttar Pradesh government claimed that over 50 crore people have taken a holy dip so far at the Triveni Sangam—a number which is more than the combined population of the US and Russia.
