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Stampedes in 2004, 2010, and 2012 at the New Delhi railway station caused significant loss of life and distressing memories.
An inquiry report into the stampede at New Delhi Railway Station, which claimed at least 18 lives, has identified key factors contributing to the tragedy. It highlights that an announcement about a special train for Maha Kumbh devotees and a surge in ticket sales to Prayagraj were significant contributors.
The report, reviewed by Aaj Tak, noted that railway officials were issuing around 1,500 general tickets per hour for Prayagraj. On the night of the incident, many passengers crowded platform 14, waiting for a train to Prayagraj, while others on platform 13 were preparing to board the delayed Swatantrata Senani Express.
As ticket sales surged, platform 14 became severely overcrowded. Around 10 pm, railway authorities announced a special train to Prayagraj from platform 16, prompting passengers on platform 14 to rush over, inadvertently trampling those seated on the overbridge. A passenger slipped, triggering the stampede.
Himanshu Shekhar Upadhyay, Chief Public Relations Officer of Northern Railway, confirmed that the Magadh Express was on platform 14 and the Jammu-bound Uttar Sampark Kranti was on platform 15 at the time, with the slip causing a chain reaction among the crowd.
(Newsroom staff only edited this story for style from a syndicated feed)
