A day after deadly stampede, New Delhi railway station remains overcrowded

Despite additional measures, the influx of passengers — many of them Maha Kumbh pilgrims travelling to the city of Triveni Sangam — continued with the sheer volume of travellers making the situation difficult to handle for authorities

New Delhi: A day after a deadly stampede at the New Delhi railway station claimed 18 lives, the station remained overcrowded on Sunday with thousands of passengers struggling to board trains amid heavy rush.

Despite additional measures, the influx of passengers — many of them Maha Kumbh pilgrims travelling to the city of Triveni Sangam — continued with the sheer volume of travellers making the situation difficult to handle for authorities.

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Foot-over bridges, staircases and platforms were packed with anxious travellers, many of whom were unaware of special train schedules leading to confusion. Long queues before water stalls added to the chaos, while passengers carrying heavy luggage struggled to navigate through the surging crowds.

The Saturday’s stampede occurred at around 10 pm when a surge of passengers, confused by a mix-up in train announcements, rushed towards platform 16 via a narrow stairway.

Trapped between those trying to move up and others trying to descend, the crowd turned into a human bottleneck. Within minutes, panic spread, and people began falling, leading to a horrifying crush.

Yet, the congestion remained largely unchanged several hours later, with thousands still jostling for space on platforms and foot-over bridges. “Even after what happened on Saturday, the situation is the same. We are trying our best, but the number of people is too high,” said an RPF officer stationed at platform 16.

Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel were closely monitoring the situation, looking inside trains through windows to assist passengers and using small microphones to give instructions. They were seen urging travellers to wait for the next special train to Triveni Sangam, where the world’s largest gathering, Maha Kumbh, is taking place.

Senior RPF officials, including DCP (Railways) K P S Malhotra and Special CP Robin Hibu, kept inspecting crowd management on platforms 14, 15, and 16 at regular intervals. Delhi Police officials were also present to assist in controlling the massive rush.