Story by Raksha Bhattacharjee
Witnesses remember the horrific Saturday night stampede at the New Delhi Railway Station
Horrific Saturday Night at New Delhi railway station
As the death toll from the midnight stampede at the New Delhi Railway Station rose to 18 on Sunday, witnesses described the terror of seeing people’s possessions strewn everywhere and a mob unlike any other, with scores squeezing and scurrying for space amid pleas for aid.
The stampede may have been caused by confusion caused by an incorrect notice regarding the shift of platforms, according to official sources, but some eyewitnesses also made this claim.
Following the news, individuals pushed one another forward in a rush. The rush trampled those who fell, Ravi Kumar, a vendor who has been operating a business at the train station for 12 years, told PTI. “I had never seen a crowd like this before,” he claimed. Platform number 14 was occupied by the Patna-bound Magadh Express at the time of the incident, while platform number 15 was occupied by the New Delhi-Jammu Uttar Sampark Kranti Express, noted Northern Railway’s Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) Himanshu Upadhyay on Sunday.
Maha Kumbh
In Prayagraj, where the Maha Kumbh is currently in progress, an enormous number of passengers were waiting to board trains.
According to the CPRO, the stampede was caused by some individuals who were using stairs to descend from the footover bridge towards platforms 14 and 15, slipping and falling on others. “The rush on platforms 12, 14, and 15 was overwhelming,” Kumar recalled the upsetting scenes. Every train that was going to Prayagraj was completely filled.
Prayagraj Express
An notification for the arrival of another train was issued while the Prayagraj Express was already on one platform. Following the announcement, individuals rushed forward and pushed one another. Due to the narrow footbridge that connects the platforms, many were crushed and fell during the rush.
Ved Prakash, who lives in Paharganj, had intended to take his wife to Prayagraj, but he chose to go back home after seeing the enormous crowd. “There wasn’t even room to stand inside the train. He remarked, “I went outside and decided to return.” The body of Poonam Devi, who was leaving for her home in Bihar on Saturday night, was picked up by a family member of one of the deceased on Sunday at the LNJP Hospital.
Strapped occurs in New Delhi railway station
Platform number 12 was where her train was expected to arrive, but the station was packed. The relative claimed that when an announcement was made, people began to rush, crushing those who fell. One of the victims was a woman who was traveling to Chhapra, Bihar, with her family. Her son described the terrible loss while fighting to contain his tears.
My mother died in the midst of the chaos while we were traveling home in a large group. He claimed, “She got caught in the rush as people were pushing each other.” Dharmendra Singh, one of the travelers, stated: “I was planning to travel to Prayagraj, but a lot of trains were either cancelled or running late. The station was packed. This station had a lot more people than I had ever seen. I saw six or seven women being carried away on stretchers.
