LIVE | 18 dead in Delhi stampede; railway station remains overcrowded amid heavy rush

At least 18 people, mostly women and children, were killed and more than a dozen injured after a stampede broke out at the New Delhi Railway Station late on Saturday (February 15) night.

The stampede was preceded by a swell in the crowd of passengers waiting to board trains to Prayagraj — where the Maha Kumbh is underway — on platform numbers 14 and 15.

Acting Chief Minister Atishi told reporters that 15 people had been brought dead at Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Hospital in central Delhi. Almost 15 people were injured and they were undergoing treatment, she said.

The death toll later rose to 18. Five of them are children. The Railways has announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the families of the deceased.

Also read: Kumbh stampede: A deadly cocktail of ‘VIP culture’ and mismanagement

What caused stampede?

The incident comes days after a stampede claimed at least 40 lives at the Kumbh fair grounds itself.

The New Delhi station stampede broke out around 9.55 pm on Saturday. Eyewitnesses said a huge rush at the station led to the stampede, with several passengers fainting because of suffocation.

In an official statement, the deputy commissioner of police (railway) said platform number 14 was already very crowded when the Prayagraj Express train was waiting there for departure.

Swatantra Senani Express and Bhubaneshwar Rajdhani Express were delayed and the passengers of these trains were also present on platform numbers 12, 13 and 14, the officer explained.

“According to CMI, every hour, 1,500 general tickets were sold by the railways, due to which the station got overcrowded and became uncontrollable. There was a stampede at platform no. 14 and near escalator near platform no. 16,” the DCP said.