NEW DELHI: Eyewitnesses at the New Delhi Railway Station recounted the horrific situations that led to the deadly stampede killing at least 18 and injuring several on Saturday night. The incident occurred when a large crowd gathered at platforms 14 and 15, awaiting trains bound for Prayagraj, where the Maha Kumbh is ongoing.
Talking about the stampede, an eyewitness Ravi said when people at platform 13 saw trains on platforms 14 and 15, they rushed towards these platforms. “The platforms of the trains were not changed, but the crowd was so huge that it could not be controlled,” he said.
Another recounted the horrific scene saying that the crowd was beyond the limit. “Such a huge crowd wasn’t expected. I have never seen such a massive crowd at the railway station, even during the festivals. People from the administration and even NDRF personnel were there, but when the crowd exceeded the limit, it wasn’t possible to control them,” he said.
A passenger who lost his mother in the stampede case alleged that no police were there at the moment. He said, “My mother died in the stampede. The doctor confirmed her death. We were going to our home in Chhapra, Bihar. We have no idea why this happened, so many people came all of a sudden and started pushing each other. There were no police.”
A sergeant in the Indian Air Force (IAF) and an eyewitness, Ajit said, “We have a tri-service office at the railway station. When I was returning after my duty I couldn’t go as there was a huge crowd. I tried to convince people and also made announcements appealing to people to avoid gathering on the platform in large numbers. The administration was working hard to prevent any mishap, but no one was listening. I also helped the injured people with the help of one of my friends.”
At LNJP hospital, the brother of one of the victims, Sanjay said, “We were 12 people going to Maha Kumbh. We hadn’t even reached the platform but were at the stairs. My family, including my sister, were stuck in the crowd. We found her after half an hour and by the time she was dead.”