A stampede at New Delhi Railway Station claimed 18 lives, including 14 women, on Saturday night, as crowds surged on overcrowded platforms, the Delhi Police confirmed as per news agency ANI. The tragedy occurred around 9:55 p.m. on platforms 14 and 15, where hundreds of passengers waited to board trains bound for Prayagraj, where the Maha Kumbh is underway.
Acting Chief Minister Atishi said 15 people were declared dead upon arrival at Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Hospital, and nearly 15 others are undergoing treatment for injuries. “All but two of the casualties have been identified,” she said. Three of the victims were children.
Eyewitnesses described the harrowing scene. “The station was overcrowded. There were far more people than I have ever seen at this station,” Dharmendra Singh said. “In front of me, six or seven women were taken away on stretchers.” Another passenger, Pramod Chaurasia, said, “I had a sleeper-class ticket for Purushottam Express, but even those with confirmed tickets could not board the train. One of my friends and a female passenger got stuck in the crowd. There was too much pushing and jostling. We managed to stay safe by waiting outside with our children.”
The Deputy Commissioner of Police (Railways) said the situation worsened when Swatantra Senani Express and Bhubaneswar Rajdhani Express were delayed, adding to the congestion on platforms 12, 13, and 14. “As per CMI, every hour 1,500 general tickets were sold by railways due to which the station got overcrowded and became uncontrollable. There was a stampede at platform no. 14 and near the escalator near platform no. 16,” he said.
According to Northern Railway's Chief Public Relations Officer Himanshu Upadhyay, “Passengers pushed each other, which caused injuries to some of them. They were taken to hospitals for first aid.” Before confirmation of the deaths, Railway Board's Information and Publicity executive Dilip Kumar said the incident occurred due to “a large footfall” and described it as a “stampede-like” situation where “several people collapsed.”
Authorities dispatched rescue teams to the scene, along with four fire tenders, Delhi Fire Services (DFS) chief Atul Garg said. One victim’s family described their devastating loss. “We were travelling to our home in Chhapra, Bihar, in a group, but my mother lost her life in the chaos. People were pushing each other,” said the victim’s son. “The doctor has confirmed to us that my mother has died.” Another family member of the deceased, a woman, collapsed in grief after receiving the news.
The railway authorities have so far released four special trains and are considering more to manage the heavy footfall. “Arrangements are being made for additional special trains,” said Dilip Kumar.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences on X. “Distressed by the stampede at New Delhi Railway Station. My thoughts are with all those who have lost their loved ones. I pray that the injured have a speedy recovery. The authorities are assisting all those who have been affected by this stampede,” he wrote.