Stampede at Indian railway station kills Maha Kumbh festival pilgrims

A stampede at the main railway station in New Delhi, the capital of India, has resulted in at least 18 fatalities and 15 injuries. The incident occurred at approximately 8 p.m. local time on Saturday, as passengers were waiting on two platforms for trains to Prayagraj, a city hosting the Maha Kumbh festival, a major Hindu pilgrimage.

According to local media reports, the deceased include 14 women and 3 children. Images and videos released by the media show large crowds jostling each other at the station after the incident, with police and rescue teams working to clear the congestion. A woman named Shobha Devi, along with her family, was on platform 14, preparing to board a train to Prayagraj.

Shobha Devi told the media, "I have never seen such a crowd; I was very scared. People were falling over each other, and some lost their lives because of it." She added, "I held my son's hand tightly and didn't let go in the crowd." She believes they entered the platform early, which saved their lives before the crowd became too dense, emphasizing that their early arrival was crucial for their safety. "We were slightly ahead of the crowd; if we had been two or three minutes later, we would have been crushed. That's why we were saved."

Shobha Devi and her family spent the night at the railway station and decided not to travel to the Maha Kumbh festival, opting to return to their home in the neighboring state of Haryana. She stated, "When your life is saved, everything is saved." Another man named Rupesh Kumar had also planned to attend the festival to participate in the bathing ritual in the Ganges River. He arrived at the station as the stampede was happening and was unable to access the platform.

Rupesh Kumar said, "I managed to get onto the bridge, but the police were beating people with batons, preventing them from moving forward." He and his friends also decided to cancel their trip. He explained, "My family called and told me not to go to Kumbh. I wasn't feeling well, and I saw people dying, so I decided not to go. If it's this crowded here, I can only imagine how crowded Kumbh will be."

Delhi Chief Minister Atishi stated on social media that many of the victims were pilgrims traveling to attend the Maha Kumbh festival. Organizers expect 400 million people to attend the festival this year. Indian Prime Minister Modi and several other federal ministers also acknowledged the stampede on social media but did not disclose the death toll. Prime Minister Modi expressed his condolences on social media: "Distressed by the stampede at the New Delhi railway station. My thoughts are with all those who have lost their loved ones."

Indian Home Minister Amit Shah posted on social media that he had spoken with the Railway Minister and assessed the situation. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw stated on social media that an investigation into the incident had been ordered and that four special trains had been dispatched to evacuate the crowds from the railway station, adding that the situation was under control. "The entire team is working to help everyone affected by this tragic incident."

Last month, a pre-dawn stampede at the Maha Kumbh festival in northern India also resulted in dozens of deaths when tens of millions of Hindus gathered to bathe in the holy river on the most auspicious day of the six-week festival. Atishi stated, "This is a very tragic incident, and we pray for those who lost their lives." India has experienced several railway accidents in the past two years, including a collision in 2023 that resulted in at least 288 fatalities. Indian Railways operates the world's fourth-largest railway network and is currently undergoing a $47 billion upgrade, part of Prime Minister Modi's push to enhance connectivity.