The death toll from a stampede at a railway station in the Indian capital New Delhi rose to 18, officials said Sunday.
Delhi police confirmed the death toll from the stampede, which took place at the New Delhi Railway Station late on Saturday night.
Railway officials said an investigation has been launched into the stampede, which they blamed on an “unexpected rush” of passengers.
Railway spokesman Himanshu Shekhar Upadhyay told reporters on Sunday that a man slipped and fell on the stairs, toppling over many people standing behind him, which led to the incident.
National Disaster Response Force official Daulat Ram Chaudhary said the situation at the station is normal now and all the injured have been evacuated.
Indian Railways has also announced compensation of around $11,500 to the families of the deceased and around $2,884 for those seriously injured in the incident.
Officials said the station saw an influx of passengers due to a rush of devotees heading to board trains for Maha Kumbh Mela, the largest Hindu festival in India, which is underway in the bordering Uttar Pradesh state.
While many officials including Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences over the stampede, opposition leader Rahul Gandhi said the incident “once again highlights the failure of the railways and the insensitivity of the government.”
“Considering the large number of devotees going to Prayagraj, better arrangements should have been made at the station,” he wrote on X.
Some eyewitnesses told local media that there was no one to control the crowd at the time of the incident.
On Jan. 29, at least 30 people died in a stampede at the same festival, which takes place every 12 years on the riverbanks of Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh. This year, it is being held from Jan. 13 to Feb. 26.
Prayagraj, formerly Allahabad, is considered particularly holy to Hindus, as it is home to Triveni Sangam, the sacred confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna, and mythical Saraswati rivers.
(Source AA)
