Delhi railway station stampede: Railway Board announces 2-member probe committee

New Delhi: The Railway Board has launched a high-level probe into the stampede at New Delhi railway station on Saturday, which led to the deaths of around 18 passengers. Dilip Kumar, Executive Director of Information & Publicity at the Railway Board, confirmed on Sunday that a two-member committee has been formed to investigate the incident and identify its cause.

"A two-member high-level committee has been formed to investigate the matter," said Dilip Kumar.

He assured that the situation is now under control, with stranded passengers accommodated on special trains. Train services at the station have also returned to normal.

"The situation is under control, and the passengers have been sent by special train... Train movement at the railway station is normal now," he added.

The sudden rush of passengers had put immense pressure on the railway station, prompting authorities to run four additional special trains to manage the crowd.

Panic spreads as station struggles with rush

The unexpected surge in passengers created a chaotic scene, with many fainting due to overcrowding. Some were rushed to hospitals for medical attention. To restore order, authorities temporarily restricted entry to the station.

"The number of passengers was relatively very high today at the New Delhi railway station, and so we ran four more special trains. We received information that a few people fainted - they have been admitted to a local hospital. We blocked entry to the railway station for a while, but the situation is under control now," added Kumar.

Earlier, in response to the incident, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw ordered a high-level investigation to investigate the circumstances leading to the stampede-like situation.

The inquiry will identify the causes of the incident and suggest measures to prevent similar situations in the future.

"A high-level inquiry has been ordered by the Railways on the unfortunate incident," according to the Ministry of Railways.

How the chaos unfolded

A sudden and unprecedented rush of passengers at New Delhi Railway Station's platforms 13 and 14 around 10 pm led to a chaotic situation. As the crowd surged, some passengers fainted, sparking rumours of a stampede, which further fueled panic among the crowd.

"An Unprecedented rush situation developed today at about 10 pm in New Delhi railway station near platforms 13 & 14. Some of the passengers present there on the platforms fainted due to this sudden rush further leading to the rumours of stampede like situation. This led to the spread of panic," according to Ministry of Railways.

Prompt action was taken by the Northern Railways to ease the congestion. Four special trains were quickly deployed to evacuate the stranded passengers, effectively reducing the rush. Meanwhile, the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and Delhi Police worked together to provide medical assistance, transporting the fainted and injured passengers to nearby hospitals for treatment.

"The situation was later controlled by easing the rush situation. Northern Railways immediately ran four special trains to evacuate the unprecedented sudden rush. Now rush has been reduced. In the meanwhile, the fainted & injured passengers have been taken to nearby hospitals by RPF & Delhi Police," said Ministry of Railways.

Authorities assess the situation

Senior officials, including the Chairman of the Railway Board, Satish Kumar, and the Director General of the Railway Protection Force (RPF), arrived at the railway station to assess the situation alongside relevant authorities.

Speaking on the incident, DCP Railways KPS Malhotra told ANI that while authorities had anticipated a large crowd, the surge occurred suddenly. "We expected the crowd, but it all happened in a fraction of time, and hence this situation occurred. The fact-finding will be done by the Railways... After inquiry, we will get to know the reason behind the incident," he said.

Providing further details, DCP Malhotra explained that the rush intensified within 15-20 minutes after a special train was announced, prompting passengers to scramble to board it. "Two trains were delayed, and due to the increased footfall, the crowd grew massive. A few people sustained injuries. As of now, the situation is under control," he added.

According to authorities, the incident occurred as a massive crowd gathered at platform no. 14, where the Prayagraj Express was stationed. Delays in the departures of Swatantrata Senani Express and Bhubaneswar Rajdhani further exacerbated the congestion, leading to overcrowding at platforms 12, 13, and 14. Reports indicate that around 1,500 general tickets were sold, resulting in an overwhelming rush, particularly near platform no. 14 and the escalator at platform no. 1.

ANI