New Delhi, 16 February : Late Saturday night, a tragic stampede at New Delhi Railway Station resulted in the deaths of at least 18 people and left several others injured. The chaos unfolded as an overwhelming surge of passengers gathered to board trains to Prayagraj for the ongoing Mahakumbh.

Eyewitnesses described the station as dangerously overcrowded, with people collapsing due to suffocation. The incident occurred primarily at platform number 14, where the Prayagraj Express was stationed. Officials had repeatedly urged passengers to avoid crowding, but their warnings went unheeded.

An IAF sergeant stationed at the railway premises recalled making multiple announcements to disperse the swelling crowd, but the situation remained unmanageable. He assisted in rescuing the injured along with a friend.

Families of the victims recounted heartbreaking stories. Sanjay, who lost his sister in the stampede, said his family was still on the stairs when they got trapped. By the time they found her, she had already succumbed. Another passenger, who lost his mother, expressed shock, saying, “We don’t even know what triggered the chaos. Suddenly, people started pushing, and there were no police to manage the situation.”

Eyewitnesses reported that the stampede began around 9:30 pm when passengers from platform 13 rushed toward platforms 14 and 15, creating an uncontrollable situation. A bystander stated that even during major festivals, such an enormous crowd had never been witnessed at the station. Despite the presence of railway staff and NDRF personnel, the sheer number of people made crowd control impossible.