- Incident Overview: A stampede occurred at New Delhi Railway Station on Saturday night, resulting in 18 deaths and 15 injuries.
Relevance : GS 3(Disaster Management )
- Cause of Stampede: Confusion over two trains headed to Prayagraj (one express and one special train for Maha Kumbh pilgrims) triggered the stampede.
- Platform Overcrowding: Around 2,600 additional unreserved tickets were sold, leading to overcrowding on platforms. Platform 14 swelled with passengers awaiting the Prayagraj Express.
- Triggering Event: Announcement for the Subedaarganj Special for Kumbh pilgrims on Platform 12 caused confusion, as passengers mistakenly thought it was the Prayagraj Express, resulting in a sudden rush.
- Press at Foot Overbridge: The surge was most intense at the steps leading to the foot overbridge between platforms, where passengers were crushed.
- Investigations: Indian Railways and Delhi Police are conducting inquiries into the incident, with a focus on the flaws in the train announcement system.
- Railway Response: Special trains for Prayagraj will now depart from Platform 16 to avoid further confusion.
- Casualties: The victims include 4 children, 11 women, and 3 men.
- Injury Details: 15 people were injured, with 3 in serious condition.
- Railway Official Statement: Railways acknowledged the large number of devotees for the Maha Kumbh and assured the operation of additional special trains for passenger ease.
