New Delhi Station Stampede: Death Toll Rises to 18, Govt Forms Two-Member Inquiry Panel

New Delhi Station Stampede: The death toll in the tragic stampede at New Delhi Railway Station has risen to 18 including 11 women and four children. The incident occurred around 10 PM on Saturday, causing chaos and panic among passengers.

What Happened?

A massive crowd gathered at platform numbers 14 and 15, leading to a deadly stampede. Initially, 15 people, including three children, lost their lives. The railways stated that, in anticipation of heavy footfall, four additional trains were announced. However, the crowd was much larger than expected. Some individuals fainted, triggering panic and resulting in the stampede.

Overcrowding Led to Disaster

The Deputy Commissioner of Police (Railways) revealed that the station was severely overcrowded, with around 1,500 general tickets being sold per hour. "As per CMI, every hour 1,500 general tickets were sold by railways, which caused excessive crowding, making the situation uncontrollable. The stampede occurred at platform number 14 and near the escalator on platform number 16," the DCP stated.

Rescue and Relief Efforts

NDRF Commandant Daulat Ram Chaudhary confirmed that the situation is now under control. "All the injured have been evacuated. We received preliminary information from the police control room that a stampede broke out in the Magadh Express on Platform No. 14. By the time we arrived, the injured had already been moved to hospitals."

Railways' Response

The railways clarified that train operations were not disrupted, and no cancellations were made. Services continued as per schedule.

Probe Ordered

Dilip Kumar, Executive Director of Information & Publicity at the Railway Board, announced that a two-member high-level committee had been formed to investigate the cause of the stampede. "A two-member high-level committee has been set up to probe the matter and determine the reasons behind the incident," he said.

Authorities are now working to ensure such tragedies do not occur again, with measures being considered to improve crowd management at the station.