New Delhi Railway Station Stampede: 18 Dead in 45 Minutes of Chaos

New Delhi, India:  A devastating stampede at New Delhi railway station on Saturday night claimed 18 lives, marking the deadliest rail tragedy since the 2017 Elphinstone Station stampede in Mumbai. The chaos unfolded at platforms 14 and 15 as thousands of pilgrims heading to Prayagraj for Maha Kumbh and regular passengers overwhelmed the station’s infrastructure.

Eyewitnesses reported severe overcrowding at the Ajmeri Gate and Paharganj entrances from 7 PM onwards. The situation worsened as two delayed trains. The Swatantra Senani Express and Bhubaneshwar Rajdhani Express left passengers stranded, while three Bihar-bound trains arriving later escalated the congestion. A malfunctioning escalator and a blocked staircase further created dangerous bottlenecks.

The tipping point came at 9:15 PM when an announcement for a special Prayagraj-bound train triggered confusion. With unreserved ticket holders rushing towards multiple platforms, panic ensued on the foot over-bridge at the Ajmeri Gate end, leading to the deadly crush.

Despite railway officials running five special trains to manage the crowd, the response came too late. By Sunday morning, signs of the tragedy scattered belongings, torn bags, and slippers remained, highlighting the station’s infrastructure crisis.