Footwear, clothes and personal belongings of victims were strewn across platforms, escalators and the railway overbridge after a stampede late on Saturday caused as people jostled to board trains to Uttar Pradesh’s Maha Kumbh, where the Maha Kumbh is underway.

18 people, including 11 women and five children, were killed in a stampede at the station where a surge of crowd was witnessed as thousands shuttled between platforms to board trains going to Prayagraj.

After the stampede and rescue efforts at the station, visuals showed piles of clothes, shoes, water bottles, bags and other belongings of people scattered along the station premises. Staff was pressed into gathering them into bags and disposing them.

Earlier visuals showed scores of people trying to board trains, while larger crowds thronged platforms and the overbridge, rendering authorities’ efforts to manage the situation futile. Eyewitnesses said a huge rush at the station led to the stampede with several fainting because of suffocation.

New Delhi: Several belongings of passengers were left behind on Platform No. 14 at New Delhi Railway Station pic.twitter.com/3disvqbMRM

— IANS (@ians_india) February 15, 2025

Northern Railway’s Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) Himanshu Upadhyay said that at the time of incident the Patna-bound Magadh Express was standing at platform number 14 and the New Delhi-Jammu Uttar Sampark Kranti Express was stationed at platform number 15. The officer said Swatantra Senani Express and Bhubaneshwar Rajdhani Express were delayed and the passengers of these trains were also present on platform numbers 12, 13 and 14.

The stampede broke out around 9.55 pm, prompting an emergency response from authorities.