At least 18 people, including five children, were killed in a stampede at the main railway station in New Delhi, the capital of India, according to media reports on Sunday, which cited the Press Trust of India news agency.
According to several media outlets, which cited a list provided by the police, the youngest victim was seven years old, and the oldest was 79. Of the 18 individuals listed, all but four were women.
The national capital territory’s chief minister, Atishi, who only goes by one name, claimed on X that many of the victims were pilgrims who were planning to attend the Hindu Maha Kumbh festival. 15 people had died, she had previously told reporters.
According to media reports, over a dozen injured people are receiving treatment in hospitals.
According to media reports, the stampede happened on two platforms where people were waiting to board trains to Prayagraj city, the site of the Maha Kumbh, at approximately 8 p.m. (1430 GMT) on Saturday.
Following the incident, as police and relief teams attempted to reduce the congestion, media outlets featured pictures and videos of crowds of people tripping over one another.
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A distressed woman told the India Today news channel, “There was a sea of humanity at the railway station, and the crowd surged towards the train going to Prayagraj.” “I barely survived after losing my possessions.”
According to Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, an investigation into the incident has been mandated.
As tens of millions of Hindus gathered to bathe in the sacred river waters on the most auspicious day of the six-week festival, a pre-dawn stampede at the Maha Kumbh in northern India last month claimed dozens of lives.
India has seen a number of significant stampedes, the majority of which took place during religious festivals or assemblies.
According to local media, VK Saxena, the lieutenant-governor of Delhi and one of the top officials in the capital territory, paid hospital visits to some of the injured.
“We pray for those who have lost their lives in this very tragic incident,” Atishi stated.
In the past two years, India has seen a number of rail accidents, including one in 2023 that claimed the lives of at least 288 people. As part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s drive to improve connectivity, India’s railway network—which is currently the fourth largest in the world—is being upgraded for $30 billion.