A ‘stampede-like atmosphere’ prevailed at New Delhi railway station on Sunday but prompt implementation of crowd-control measures averted any tragedy and no injuries were reported, the Delhi Police said. The railways ministry, however, said there was a heavy rush at the station but that there was “no stampede or stampede-like situation“.
“The protocol of taking unreserved passengers through the holding area is being used,” the ministry added.
“A large number of passengers had gathered at platform numbers 12 and 13 of New Delhi Railway Station due to a delay in the departure of Shiv Ganga Express, Swatantrata Senani Express, Jammu Rajdhani Express, Lucknow Mail and Magadh Express. Due to the cumulative effect of these delays, heavy passenger congestion was observed at the platforms. The situation turned chaotic and led to a stampede-like atmosphere, resembling the crowd management challenges witnessed during the Mahakumbh arrangements in the past. Necessary crowd control measures had to be promptly taken to avoid any untoward incident. No injuries reported,” the Delhi Police said.
Eyewitnesses reported that the overcrowding led to panic among travelers, prompting necessary crowd control measures by the Delhi Police to prevent any injuries.
This incident follows a tragic event that occurred just over a month earlier on February 15 when a crowd crush at the same station resulted in the deaths of at least 18 people and injuries to 15 others.
That incident was attributed to similar factors: overwhelming passenger numbers due to train delays and miscommunication regarding train schedules. The chaos was exacerbated by infrastructure bottlenecks and inadequate crowd management measures, which ultimately led to a deadly stampede on platforms 14 and 15.