A stampede at New Delhi Railway Station on Saturday night claimed 18 lives. Thousands of devotees thronged the station to travel to Prayagraj for the Maha Kumbh 2025 festival. A key trigger for the stampede was an announcement regarding a last-minute platform change, which led to passengers rushing from both sides. Four special trains were introduced to manage the rush, but the situation spiralled out of control. Some passengers fainted and required hospitalisation, while authorities temporarily blocked entry to the station. A two-member high-level committee has been established to investigate the incident, with a Railway Board official saying, \”The fact-finding process is underway. We will determine the cause of the tragedy following an inquiry\” The injured have been evacuated, and train movement has returned to normal, according to railway officials. The incident occurred around 10 pm, with severe overcrowding leading to chaos. \”We expected congestion, but it happened so quickly that the situation became unmanageable,\” said Deputy commissioner of Police (DCP) Railways KPS Malhotra.
