New Delhi Railway Station Stampede: ‘Mother died, going home… no one to control crowd’ Eyewitnesses share what they saw

New Delhi Railway Station Stampede: Eyewitnesses described events that led to the unfortunate crush that claimed at least 15 lives and injured over a dozen others in a stampede at the New Delhi Railway Station late on February 15. ANI cited Delhi police to say the death toll has now risen to 18.

Some eyewitnesses told news agency PTI that “a huge rush” at the station led to the stampede. They added that several passengers also fainted due to suffocation.

One of the victims told reporters that his mother had died in the stampede. He said, “We were travelling to our home in Chhapra, Bihar, in a group, but my mother lost her life in the chaos. People were pushing each other. The doctor has confirmed to us that my mother has died.”

Another family member of the deceased, a woman, collapsed in grief.

‘Far more people than I have ever seen…’

One of the passengers, Dharmendra Singh told PTI, “I was going to Prayagraj but many trains were running late or were cancelled. The station was overcrowded. There were far more people than I have ever seen at this station. In front of me, six or seven women were taken away on stretchers.”

‘Managed to stay safe by waiting outside with our children…’

Pramod Chaurasia, also a passenger who was at the station told PTI, “I had a sleeper-class ticket for Purushottam Express but even those with confirmed tickets could not board the train. One of my friends and a female passenger got stuck in the crowd. There was too much pushing and jostling. We managed to stay safe by waiting outside with our children.”

‘My mother died, we were going home…’

“My mother died in the stampede. We were going to our home…” Pappu, a resident of Patna in Bihar, told news agency ANI.

Railway coolie says, ‘Working since 1981, never saw a crowd like this…’

Speaking to ANI, a coolie (porter) at the New Delhi railway station said that the massive crowd last night was the first of this magnitude he's ever seen at the station.

“I have been working as a coolie since 1981, but I never saw a crowd like this before. Prayagraj Special was supposed to leave from platform number 12, but it was shifted to platform number 16. When the crowd waiting at Platform 12 and the crowd waiting outside tried to reach Platform 16, people started colliding and fell on the escalator and stairs. Several collies gathered there to stop the crowd,” he said. (sic)

He added that coolies help transport people to ambulances, “We took at least 15 bodies and loaded them in an Ambulance. There were only shoes and clothes on the platform. When the crowd waiting at Platform 12 and the crowd from outside tried to reach Platform 16, people started colliding and fell on the escalator and stairs. We called police, fire tenders, and 3-4 ambulances reached there, and people were taken to the hospital…” (sic)

‘There was no one to control crowd…’

Another eyewitness told ANI that there was no one to control the crowd and as trains entered the station the number of people on platforms increased, leading to the stampede.

“...There was no one to control the crowd...It was announced that the train coming on platform number 12 will come on platform number 16. So the crowd came from both sides and a stampede occurred...some people were taken to the hospital…” the eyewitness, who was not named, said.

‘My relative admitted to hospital…’

Another young eyewitness said that the platforms lacked presence of railway police or other cops who could control the crowd. “There was no RPF or police at the station (New Delhi Railway Station)...There was a huge rush at the station...More than 30 people have been injured...My relative has been admitted to the hospital,” he told ANI.

New Delhi Station Stampede News — What We Know So Far

• The stampede was preceded by a swell in crowd of passengers waiting to board trains to Prayagraj — where the Maha Kumbh is underway — on platform numbers 14 and 15 of the station, according to a PTI report.
• Delhi Acting Chief Minister Atishi told reporters that 15 people had been brought dead at the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Hospital of central Delhi. All but two of the casualties were identified. Three of them were children.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the deaths in a social media post: “Distressed by the stampede at New Delhi Railway Station. My thoughts are with all those who have lost their loved ones. I pray that the injured have a speedy recovery. The authorities are assisting all those who have been affected by this stampede,” he said. 
• As per an official statement from the deputy commissioner of police (railway), New Delhi Railway Station's platform number 14 was already very crowded when the Prayagraj Express train was waiting there for its departure. And the Swatantra Senani Express and Bhubaneshwar Rajdhani Express were delayed, which meant those passengers were also present on platform numbers 12, 13 and 14. The DCP added that tracking CMI data showed that every hour 1,500 general tickets were sold by railways “due to which the station got overcrowded and became uncontrollable”. 
• The stampede broke out around 9.55 pm on February 15, prompting an emergency response from authorities. 

(With inputs from PTI and ANI)