Footwear, clothes and personal belongings lay scattered across platforms, escalators and the railway overbridge as authorities worked to restore order. At least 18 people, including 11 women and five children, lost their lives in the incident. The Ministry of Railways has called the incident \”unfortunate\” and has set up a two-member high-level committee to probe the cause of the tragedy and recommend preventive measures. An eyewitness, an IAF sergeant, shared on Sunday that despite repeated announcements and efforts to disperse the crowd, the situation remained uncontrollable. \”The crowd was beyond control, people were gathered at the foot over bridge. Such a huge crowd wasn’t expected. I have never seen such a massive crowd at the railway station, even during festivals,\” said Ajit, a sergeant with the Indian Air Force (IAF) The stampede occurred around 10 pm as thousands of passengers jostled to board trains bound for Prayagraj for the Maha Kumbh. The chaos intensified due to delays in two scheduled trains and the rush for a special express service, leading to overcrowding on multiple platforms.
