A blocked staircase, overcrowding near escalators and platforms, passengers gasping for breath, and individuals tumbling over each other—the tragic scene at New Delhi Railway Station on Saturday night led to the deaths of at least 18 travelers on their way to the Maha Kumbh. Many others were injured amid the turmoil.
The enormous stampede left thousands stuck as emergency services took between 30 to 45 minutes to respond. At that point, heartbroken families were desperately trying to reach their relatives, attempting to aid the injured, and urging authorities for assistance. Most of the deceased were women who had come with family or friends and tragically fell victim to either injuries or suffocation.
Passengers reported that the crowd began to grow around 6-7 pm, and the delayed departures of the Swatantra Senani Express and Bhubaneswar Rajdhani exacerbated the situation, making the crowd “unmanageable. ”
Families Grieve for Those Lost in Stampede
Manoj Shah, a factory worker from Tikri Border, hurried to Lok Nayak Hospital around 12:45 am after finding out he had lost his 11-year-old daughter, Suruchi Shah, along with his in-laws, Vijay Shah and Krishna Shah, in the stampede.
“I can’t believe I lost my little girl. My wife is devastated and is inside. They (hospital administration) are not even allowing me to go inside. It was late when my brother-in-law called. He, my in-laws, and Suruchi were heading to the Maha Kumbh. He just called me and said, ‘Bhagdad ho rahi bhaiya. Sab alag ho gaye. Please bachao. ’ I nearly collapsed when I heard that. I kept calling him, and he told me people were trampling over each other. I instructed him to find my daughter first…” Shah recounted.
It took almost an hour for the family to reunite. Shah criticized authorities for their delayed response and lack of timely assistance. “I kept calling my brother-in-law and somehow reached her… Suruchi was my only daughter. What are we supposed to do now? My wife has lost her parents. They all just wanted to go to the Kumbh. What was their mistake? Why did the police take so long? My daughter could have survived, but she was trampled by so many people. She was in the 5th standard… I can’t talk now,” he said, engulfed in sorrow.
Devotee’s Final Journey Concludes in Misfortune
Sangeeta Malik, a 30-year-old nurse from Delhi, had organized a trip to the Maha Kumbh with her colleagues, who were also nurses. She had recently lost her job but was profoundly spiritual and excited about the pilgrimage.
Malik traveled from her husband’s place in Sonipat to visit her aunt, Kavita Sehgal, in Rohini before departing for the journey. Sehgal, in tears, recounted their final moments together.
“She visited my home today. I hold her in high regard and truly enjoy our conversations. However, she mentioned that she needed to depart soon to catch a train. She requested that I pack her lunch and prepare her favorite saag sabzi. I prepared it for her, and then she left. I still can’t believe she is gone. I believe her friends also passed away. I’m uncertain about them… They were all lovely girls who wanted to attend Kumbh. She had just booked the tickets. How could this have happened? The police did not even notify us. We received a call from a stranger who found her phone and reached out to me after discovering her body. She was trampled and lost her life. . . ” said Sehgal.
Delayed Trains, Lack of Security Blamed
Numerous families asserted that unexpected timetable changes caused the stampede. Although the disaster occurred around 9:30-9:45 pm, it was reported that the police and ambulances took an excessive amount of time to respond.
Pappu Kumar, an employee from Kapashera, displayed images of his mother-in-law, Poonam Gupta (50), seated on a bench at the railway station prior to the pandemonium.
Gupta, who had traveled to see her daughter, Pammi, was on her way back to Sonpur, Bihar, but sadly lost her life in the stampede. Pappu, clearly distressed, recounted the nightmare of that evening.
“There is no compassion here. Everyone was ruthlessly jumping and running. We managed to escape, but my mother-in-law perished. We had merely come to drop her off at the station, but we could have lost our lives too. There was no room to breathe, sit, or stand. I was there, powerless. We were all shouting because one side of the staircase was obstructed, and the escalator was overcrowded. The crowd was pushing from both ends. There was no assistance for at least 45 minutes. By that time, she had already passed away. We were huddled near the stairs to protect ourselves,” he recounted.
A Family’s Pilgrimage Turns Fatal
Thirty-seven members of the Giri family from Delhi’s Prem Nagar intended to participate in the Maha Kumbh, although only six of them succeeded in obtaining Tatkal tickets. Sadly, Seelam Devi (50) lost her life due to suffocation amid the throngs at the station, as explained by her family.
Her spouse, Umesh Giri, operates a printing press in Rohini. His sister, Meena Devi, wept as she relayed the tragedy.
“Seelam didi, Umesh bhaiya, and their four kids were heading to Kumbh. We received a call at 10 pm from her son, Aman Giri (25). He informed us that numerous individuals trampled over him and his mother. While he survived, she did not. Umesh also suffered a leg fracture as people shoved him. We all simply wanted to attend the Kumbh since we had never been before. It’s been quite some time since the festival commenced. How can the government fail to make adequate arrangements? What was the reason for trains being canceled at the last moment? Why was there a lack of security? ” Meena inquired.
Seelam’s family mentioned that she was particularly enthusiastic about going to Kumbh because her daughter had recently gotten married, and she wished to pray for her daughter’s happiness. She had also been looking forward to organizing a wedding for her younger daughter soon.
Desperate Families Struggle for Information
Adjacent to the hospital, Poonam Rohilla’s family approached police officers and hospital personnel, urgent for information. Her son, who preferred to remain anonymous, expressed his exasperation.
“We have been running from one place to another since 10 pm. It’s 1 am now. My mother is gone. She merely wanted to go to Maha Kumbh with her friends. How can the government be so negligent? Do they even value human lives? We received a call from one of her friends about the event,” he stated.
Her spouse, Virender, dedicated hours to looking through various hospitals until he eventually found Rohilla’s body at Lok Nayak. Their children were heartbroken, having seen their mother depart the house cheerfully with a backpack.
Medical staff at Lok Nayak Hospital verified that more than 15 bodies had been received and were being transferred to different morgues.
