(BBC): At least ten people were hurt and about eighteen people died in a terrible crush of passengers at the New Delhi Railway Station. Thousands of passengers flocked to the station on Saturday night in an attempt to board delayed trains, causing the incident.
According to an official list made public by officials, ten women and four children were among the dead. The railway station was overrun by an enormous throng, which led to a chaotic situation that swiftly got out of hand.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi told the relatives of the victims, "My prayers and thoughts are with the people who have lost their loved ones," in his condolence message. His statement was reposted by social media users who acknowledged the gravity of the event.
India frequently experiences congestion and stampedes, particularly at public events, religious gatherings, and festivals. Poor crowd control strategies have led to several of these catastrophes across the country.
Only a few weeks had passed since a similar catastrophe during the Kumbh Mela religious celebration, where a pre-dawn stampede claimed the lives of thirty individuals. Millions of Hindu pilgrims flocked to northern India for the occasion in hopes of taking a dip in the holy river.
Witnesses at the Delhi railway station recounted the overwhelming crowd, explaining that many people were traveling to and from the Kumbh Mela, which is taking place in Prayagraj city in Uttar Pradesh. The sheer number of devotees contributed to the congestion.
Two inbound trains were delayed, according to officials, and a third train that was supposed to leave for Prayagraj stayed at a standstill. Because of this circumstance, there was an overwhelming number of passengers, which made the disorder worse.
Ruby Devi, a traveler, explained how the throng of people prevented her from entering the station. Many were unable to move freely or board their trains due to the congestion.
Umesh Giri, another witness who lost his wife Shilam Devi, described how things got out of hand. Despite his best efforts to keep his wife safe, he was unable to board the Prayagraj Express amid the thronging crowd.
Another passenger going to Prayagraj, Dharmendra Singh, told the Indian news agency PTI that he had never seen the station so packed. As the crush developed, he saw six or seven ladies being taken away on stretchers.
Deputy Commissioner KPS Malhotra and other police officers said that investigators were looking into the precise cause of the disaster. According to early reports, the deadly incident was caused by train delays and the ensuing mass gathering of people.
The government was chastised by opposition leaders for not anticipating and controlling the high volume of travelers. Given the inflow of devotees traveling to Prayagraj, Rahul Gandhi, a well-known opposition figure, contended that authorities ought to have improved crowd control procedures at the station.
