The stampede at New Delhi Railway Station on Saturday night  which claimed 18 lives and injured 15 others, is reportedly now believed to have been triggered by the sale of over 1,500 general tickets at the station.

With thousands of devotees rushing to board trains, overcrowding quickly spiraled out of control.

Eyewitnesses and officials indicated that as the massive crowd gathered on Platform 14, many ticket-holders rushed towards Platform 12, where a last-minute special train was announced. This sudden movement resulted in chaos, leading to the fatal stampede on the staircase connecting platforms 14 and 15.

However, the Railways firmly denied any official platform change or cancellation of special trains, rejecting claims that mismanagement was responsible for the disaster.

Railway denies platform change or special train cancellation

In an official statement, the Northern Railway clarified that the Prayagraj Express was always scheduled for Platform 14, and the special train was planned from Platform 12 to manage the additional rush.

“Neither a platform change was made by Northern Railway, nor was any special train cancelled,” the statement read. Officials suggested that the stampede-like situation occured because passengers, after purchasing general tickets, attempted to board the special train at Platform 12.

Railway authorities immediately responded to the crisis, providing medical assistance at Lok Nayak Jayprakash Narayan Hospital and Lady Hardinge Medical College. The government has announced compensation of ₹10 lakh for the families of the deceased, ₹2.5 lakh for the seriously injured, and ₹1 lakh for those with minor injuries.

To prevent further chaos, the Railways ran five special trains on February 15 and has scheduled four more trains for February 16.

A high-level inquiry has been launched, led by Pankaj Gangwar, Principal Chief Security Commissioner, and Nar Singh, Principal Chief Commercial Manager of Northern Railway. The investigation, which began on February 16, aims to determine the exact cause of the tragedy and whether any procedural lapses contributed to the deadly stampede.

(with inputs from syndicated feed)

Also read :

18 killed in stampede at New Delhi station, Railways announces compensation