Witnesses recall horrifying scenes from second stampede linked to Maha Kumbh

People's belongings scattered everywhere, a crowd unlike anything seen before with scores pushing and scrambling for space amid cries for help — eyewitnesses have recalled the horror as the death toll in the overnight stampede at the New Delhi railway station climbed to 18 on Sunday.

This is the second major stampede associated with the Maha Kumbh 2025, and one can only hope it will be the last before the mega event ends on 26 February, coinciding with Shivratri. The first, at the Prayagraj mela ground itself on 29 January, officially took 30 lives, a figure that has remained static despite plenty of anecdotal evidence that suggests the actual death toll was far higher.

Opposition parties have repeatedly accused the government of hiding the death toll, and precipitating the tragedy thanks to VIP arrangements being prioritised over those for 'ordinary' visitors.

There have also been claims that the Uttar Pradesh government refused to issue death certificates citing the stampede in many cases, possibly in order to avoid paying compensation and keep the death toll at the stated figure of 30. Many next of kin also claimed that they were urged to accept death certificates citing 'natural causes' such as heart failure as the reason for death.

Already, claims have begun to emerge that the number of deaths in New Delhi, too, are being deliberately suppressed in order to diminish the damage caused to the image of Indian Railways. One can only hope a clearer picture will emerge as the day progresses.

According to official sources, a wrong announcement about change of platforms at the station may have created the confusion that led to the stampede, something that some eyewitnesses also claimed.

As soon as the announcement was made, people surged forward by pushing each other. Those who fell were trampled in the rush, Ravi Kumar, a vendor running a shop at the railway station for the past 12 years, told PTI. The crowd was unlike anything seen before, he said.

Northern Railway's chief public relations officer (CPRO) Himanshu Upadhyay said on Sunday that at the time of the incident, the Patna-bound Magadh Express was standing at platform number 14 and the New Delhi-Jammu Uttar Sampark Kranti Express was stationed at platform 15.

The overwhelming number of passengers was waiting to board trains for Prayagraj, where the Maha Kumbh is underway. "Some people who were coming down from the footover bridge towards platform numbers 14 and 15 using the stairs slipped and fell on others," the CPRO said, citing the cause of the stampede.

Recalling the distressing scenes, Kumar said, "The rush on platforms 12, 14, and 15 was overwhelming. All the trains bound for Prayagraj were packed beyond capacity. The Prayagraj Express was already standing on one platform when an announcement was made for the arrival of another train. As soon as the announcement was made, people surged forward, pushing each other. The footbridge connecting the platforms is small, and in the rush, people fell and were trampled."

Ved Prakash, a resident of Paharganj, planned to travel to Prayagraj with his wife but decided to return home after witnessing the huge crowd. "Even inside the train, there was no space to stand. I stepped out and chose to go back," he said.

The family member of one of the deceased on Sunday reached LNJP Hospital to collect the body of Poonam Devi, who was heading home to Bihar on Saturday night. "There was an overwhelming crowd at the station, and her train was supposed to arrive at platform 12. However, after an announcement was made, people started rushing, and those who fell were crushed," the relative said.

Among the victims was a woman travelling with her family to Chhapra in Bihar. Her son, struggling to hold back tears, recounted the devastating loss. "We were travelling home in a large group and my mother lost her life in the chaos. People were pushing each other, and she got caught in the rush," he said.

One of the passengers, Dharmendra Singh, said, "I was going to Prayagraj but many trains were running late or cancelled. The station was overcrowded. There were far more people than I have ever seen at this station. In front of me, six or seven women were taken away on stretchers."

As if on cue, station porters recounted their harrowing experience of carrying bodies on handcarts amid the chaos. Describing the situation, porter Krishna Kumar Jogi said the crowd swelled when a train bound for Prayagraj arrived. "A massive crowd gathered on the (foot) bridge. People were packed so tightly that many suffocated. Around 10-15 people lost their lives right there," he claimed. "I witnessed the entire incident. We carried bodies from platforms 14 and 15 to the ambulance."

Children and women were among those crushed in the crowd, struggling to breathe amid the suffocation, he said.

Recalling the distressing scene, Jogi's fellow porter Balram said, "We carried bodies on handcarts, the same ones we use for luggage. In my 15 years as a porter, I have never seen such a massive crowd."

Another porter described how there was a surge in the crowd at around 9.30 pm on Saturday, when the Prayagraj-bound train was at the platform. "People's shoes, slippers, and other belongings were scattered everywhere. We pulled out many children and elderly people from the chaos," he said.

Indian Railways has announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh each for the next of kin of those killed in the stampede. Those seriously injured will receive Rs 2.5 lakh and those with minor injuries 1 lakh. But that is only if the deaths are acknowledged to have occurred in the stampede.

With PTI inputs