Mon Feb 17 08:47:19 UTC 2025: ## New Delhi Railway Station Stampede Kills 18 Amidst Maha Kumbh Rush

**NEW DELHI** – A stampede at New Delhi Railway Station on Saturday night claimed the lives of 18 people and injured several others. The incident occurred between 9 pm and 9:20 pm, following an unusually high volume of ticket bookings for trains heading to Prayagraj during the ongoing Maha Kumbh Mela.

Data from the Unreserved Ticketing System (UTS) reveals that over 9,600 general class tickets were booked between 6 pm and 8 pm on Saturday – significantly higher than the daily average of 7,000. A total of over 54,000 general class tickets were booked through UTS that day. While this surpasses previous high booking days, railway officials acknowledge that the actual number of passengers may have been much greater due to the lax ticket checking currently in place for Kumbh-bound trains.

The chaos stemmed from a confluence of factors, including the delayed announcement of a special train to Prayagraj and insufficient crowd management. Passengers intending to board trains to Prayagraj struggled to find space on scheduled services, leading to overcrowding on platforms. Railway officials admitted that rerouting passengers to other platforms, after initial train departures, could have potentially mitigated the tragedy.

Criticism is being leveled at the inadequate deployment of security personnel. Approximately 60 Railway Protection Force (RPF) and 20 Delhi Police officers were on duty across the station’s 16 platforms at the time of the incident, with no prior alert from the Railways regarding the anticipated surge in passengers. In response to the incident, eight companies of paramilitary forces have been deployed at the station, along with additional RPF and Delhi Police personnel, to manage crowds for the remainder of the Maha Kumbh. The deployment of forces has been increased, and all special trains to Prayagraj will now depart from platform 16.

The incident echoes past stampedes at the station in 2004 and 2010, prompting renewed calls for improved crowd control measures during periods of high passenger volume. The Delhi Police have also recalled six inspectors previously stationed at the New Delhi Railway Station to assist with crowd management. Investigations are ongoing to determine the full extent of responsibility for this tragic event.

Read More