- विज्ञापन -
New Delhi: Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader Mayawati has attributed the stampede at New Delhi railway station, which resulted in at least 18 fatalities and numerous injuries, to the ‘negligence’ of the Railways. In a statement on X, she expressed her sorrow over the loss of lives and injuries caused by the stampede, which occurred as large crowds gathered at the station to travel to the Prayagraj Maha Kumbh.
“My heartfelt condolences go out to the victims. The government must take decisive action against those responsible and extend full support to the injured,” she urged.
The stampede took place around 10 PM when thousands of devotees were en route to the Maha Kumbh festival, leading to significant overcrowding at the station. Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Railway, KPS Malhotra, reported that the incident happened as many passengers congregated on platform 14, where the Prayagraj Express was located. Moreover, delays in the departures of both the Swatantrata Senani Express and Bhubaneswar Rajdhani worsened the situation, causing congestion on platforms 12, 13, and 14.
An eyewitness recounted the chaos triggered by an announcement regarding a platform change, which prompted crowd movement from both directions and led to the stampede. “There was no crowd control… The train scheduled for platform 12 was suddenly designated for platform 16, causing a rush from both ends, resulting in a stampede… some individuals were transported to the hospital,” the witness said.
The combination of train delays and the issuance of approximately 1,500 general tickets intensified the overcrowding. Another eyewitness described the scene as terrifying, stating that the crowd had grown uncontrollable. Although personnel from the administration and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) were present, they found it unmanageable once the crowd reached an excessive size. “The situation was overwhelming; people were crammed onto the foot overbridge… I have never witnessed such a huge crowd at the railway station, even during peak festival times,” they admitted.
