At least 18 individuals tragically lost their lives during a stampede at a railway station in India’s capital on Saturday night. This chaotic event occurred as surging crowds hurried to board trains heading to the Kumbh Mela, the world’s largest religious gathering, set in Prayagraj every 12 years.
The Kumbh Mela, attracting tens of millions of Hindu devotees, has a history marred by crowd-related disasters. Just last month, a separate stampede at the holy confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati rivers resulted in 30 fatalities.
Witnesses reported that the chaos at the New Delhi train station intensified as attendees vied to catch trains for the ongoing festival, which concludes on February 26.
Dr. Ritu Saxena, deputy medical superintendent of Lok Nayak Hospital, confirmed that 15 people who died displayed no open injuries, suggesting they likely succumbed to hypoxia or blunt trauma, with autopsy results pending. Additionally, 11 others suffered injuries, mostly orthopaedic in nature, but are in stable condition.
As reports emerged, another hospital official indicated that three additional deaths from the stampede were confirmed. The victims predominantly included women and children.
A porter at the railway station noted that he had never witnessed such an overwhelming crowd in his 40 years of work. Chaos ensued when the platform for a special train to Prayagraj was unexpectedly moved, leading to people colliding and falling on the escalator and stairs.
In response to this tragedy, Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced a “high-level inquiry” to investigate the incident’s causes and confirmed that extra special trains are being mobilized from New Delhi to manage the influx of devotees.
Prime Minister expressed his distress over the stampede, extending condolences to the families of the deceased and wishing a swift recovery for the injured.
The Governor of Delhi, Vinai Kumar Saxena, stated that disaster management teams were deployed and that all hospitals were prepared for any related emergencies.
The Kumbh Mela marks a significant event on the Hindu religious calendar, attracting approximately 500 million devotees since its commencement last month. Historically, this festival has seen devastating crowd disasters, including over 400 deaths from trampling or drowning in 1954 and an additional 36 fatalities during the last Kumbh Mela held in Prayagraj in 2013.
