Railway Station Tragedy in Delhi, India – 18 Lives Lost, Including 14 Women and 3 Children, Due to Stampede in Intense Crowd

Railway Station Tragedy in Delhi, India – 18 Lives Lost, Including 14 Women and 3 Children, Due to Stampede in Intense Crowd

The death toll in the stampede that occurred at New Delhi Railway Station on Saturday night has risen to 18. Among the victims, there are 14 women and 3 children. An investigation has been launched into the incident, with authorities stating that the tragedy occurred due to panic caused by an enormous crowd.

After the announcement of a "special train" at the station, a massive crowd gathered, and it quickly turned into chaos. These special trains were meant to carry nearly 500 million pilgrims traveling to the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj. As the number of passengers increased suddenly, several passengers fainted, causing panic. It was initially believed that this led to the stampede.

Dr. Ritu Seth, Deputy Medical Superintendent at Lok Nayak Hospital, stated that most of the deaths were likely caused by suffocation (hypoxia) or physical injury, though the exact cause of death will be confirmed after post-mortem reports.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Defense Minister Rajnath Singh expressed their condolences over the tragedy. Modi tweeted to offer his sympathy and wished a speedy recovery for the injured. Shah said, "I spoke with Railway Minister Shri Ashwini Vaishnav and other concerned officials regarding the accident at New Delhi Railway Station. I also spoke with the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi and the Delhi Police Commissioner, instructing them to provide all possible help. The injured are being provided with the best treatment."

This type of tragedy has occurred many times in the past few decades, especially during the Kumbh Mela. In 1954, more than 400 people were trampled to death on a single day during the festival, which was one of the largest crowd-related disasters in the world.