A crush at New Delhi Railway Station claimed the lives of 18 people and left at least 10 others injured on Saturday night.

Thousands of passengers reportedly packed into the station, attempting to board delayed trains. Officials confirmed that among the victims, four were children and 10 were women.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences on X, stating his thoughts were with those who lost loved ones.

Crowd surges are a frequent occurrence in India, particularly at religious gatherings, festivals, and public spaces. The tragedy follows a similar incident weeks earlier, when 30 people died in a pre-dawn crush at the Kumbh Mela festival in northern India.

Witnesses described an overwhelming crowd at the station, many of whom were traveling to and from the Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. Officials noted that two trains had been delayed, while a third, bound for Prayagraj, was waiting to depart.

Survivors recounted the chaos, with one traveler, Umesh Giri, describing the crowd as "uncontrollable" while trying to board the Prayagraj Express. Another passenger, Dharmendra Singh, said he had never seen so many people at the station.

Authorities are investigating the cause of the crush, with Deputy Commissioner of Police (Railways) KPS Malhotra linking it to the delayed trains and the surge in passengers. Meanwhile, opposition leaders have criticized the government for poor crowd management, with Rahul Gandhi arguing that better arrangements should have been made given the large number of devotees heading to Prayagraj.

Source: BBC

BDST: 2106 HRS, FEB 16, 2025
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