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Business Standard
02-08-2025
- Business Standard
Dropped bag caused stampede that killed 18 at New Delhi station: Vaishnaw
Railways to implement sweeping reforms after the February 15 incident that occurred during rush for Bihar-bound trains amid Maha Kumbh Apexa Rai New Delhi The stampede at New Delhi Railway Station in February that left 18 people dead, including 11 women and four children, was triggered by a large piece of luggage falling from a passenger's head, Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informed Parliament on Friday. The minister was responding in writing to a query from Samajwadi Party MP Ramji Lal Suman. Citing the findings of a high-level inquiry committee, Vaishnaw said the fallen headload caused panic and tripping on a crowded foot-over-bridge during the peak evening rush. Narrow footbridge, big crowd amplified the impact The incident occurred at 8:48 pm on February 15 on the staircase linking platforms 14 and 15. Thousands of passengers had gathered at the station to board Bihar-bound trains, as the Maha Kumbh festival in Prayagraj fuelled an unusual surge in foot traffic. 'Pressure passed through the crowd following the fall of a headload, leading to passengers tripping on the stairs,' Vaishnaw said, adding that post-mortems confirmed the victims died of traumatic asphyxia. The inquiry found that crowd density on the 25-foot-wide footbridge had been steadily rising since 8:15 pm, worsened by the number of passengers carrying heavy loads on their heads. Despite existing crowd-control measures, the combination of congestion, narrow access points, and unregulated foot traffic proved disastrous. Surge in tickets and platform congestion Railway records from the day revealed that more than 7,600 unreserved tickets were sold, with nearly 1,500 issued per hour. Crowd build-up began as early as 6 pm. This volume of footfall ultimately overwhelmed the station's infrastructure. The tragedy is the worst at an Indian railway station since the 2017 Elphinstone Road stampede in Mumbai, which claimed 23 lives. Experts have continued to criticise railway authorities for what they call avoidable mismanagement. New safety protocols for busy stations In response to the incident, the Ministry of Railways has announced a comprehensive overhaul of crowd management at 73 stations that routinely witness large gatherings. Station directors to get more power Each major station will also have a designated station director with full financial and operational authority to make decisions during emergencies. All departments at the station will report to this individual, streamlining response during crowd surges. The minister noted that station directors will also regulate ticket sales in line with platform capacity and available services. Staff will be issued new identification cards and uniforms to ensure that only authorised personnel are present during high-traffic events. Pilot implementations of these reforms are already underway at stations such as New Delhi, Anand Vihar, Varanasi, Ayodhya, and Ghaziabad.
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First Post
02-08-2025
- First Post
New Delhi railway station stampede was triggered by luggage dropped by passenger, minister tells Parl
Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw revealed that February 15 stampede tragedy at New Delhi railway station was triggered by a large piece of luggage falling from a passenger's head read more Visuals during stampede at New Delhi Railway station A tragic stampede at New Delhi railway station in February, in which 18 lives were lost, was triggered by a large piece of luggage falling from a passenger's head, Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informed Parliament on Friday (August 1). The incident, described as the deadliest railway station tragedy since Mumbai's Elphinstone Road stampede in 2017, which killed 23 people, had prompted widespread criticism and calls for systemic changes. What happened on the night of February 15? The chaos unfolded on February 15 around 8:48 pm on a foot-over-bridge connecting platforms 14 and 15, during the evening rush hour between 9:15 and 9:30 pm. Thousands of passengers had flooded the station, many of whom were heading to Bihar-bound trains during the Maha Kumbh festival in Prayagraj. 'There was a big headload falling from one of the passengers and the pressure was passed on to the stairs of platforms 14/15, resulting in the tripping of passengers,' Vaishnaw explained in his parliamentary reply. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The narrow 25-foot-wide footbridge, already congested with passengers carrying large headloads, became a deadly bottleneck. Post-mortem reports confirmed that the victims succumbed to traumatic asphyxia. A committee investigating the incident found that while crowd management protocols were in place, the passenger density on the foot-over-bridge had surged after 8:15 pm. Railway records, cited by Hindustan Times, revealed that 7,600 unreserved tickets were sold that evening, with sales peaking at 1,500 per hour as crowds began gathering from 6:00 pm. The committee noted that the heavy headloads carried by many passengers significantly hindered movement on the narrow bridge, contributing to the catastrophe. Railway experts have sharply criticised the incident, with some labelling it a 'completely avoidable incident' and a case of 'classic mismanagement.' Indian Railways implements preventive measures In response, Indian Railways is rolling out extensive measures to prevent future tragedies at 73 stations identified as prone to heavy passenger rushes. Minister Vaishnaw outlined plans for permanent holding areas outside these stations, building on temporary arrangements tested during the 2024 festival season. Pilot projects are already underway at key stations, including New Delhi, Anand Vihar, Varanasi, Ayodhya, and Ghaziabad. Under the new system, passengers will only access platforms when their trains arrive, reducing congestion within stations. To further enhance safety, Indian Railways will implement full access control at these 73 stations. Passengers with confirmed reserved tickets will gain direct platform access, while those without tickets or on waiting lists will be directed to designated waiting areas outside. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Unauthorised entry points will be sealed to ensure tighter control. Additionally, narrow foot-over-bridges will be replaced with wider 12-meter and 6-meter designs equipped with ramps, a model proven effective during the recent Mahakumbh festival.
Hindustan Times
02-08-2025
- Hindustan Times
Luggage dropped by passenger triggered New Delhi railway station stampede
A large piece of luggage falling from a passenger who had it on their head triggered the stampede that killed 18 people—including four children and 11 women—at New Delhi railway station in February, railways minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told Parliament on Friday. People at New Delhi Railway Station on February 16, a day after the stampede. (Sanchit Khanna/HT Photo) The minister, responding to a written question by Samajwadi Party MP Ramji Lal Suman, said a high-level inquiry committee had identified the falling headload as the primary cause of the tragedy that occurred on February 15. The stampede happened during the evening rush around 9:15-9:30pm on the staircase connecting platforms 14 and 15, as thousands converged on the station for Bihar-bound trains amid the Maha Kumbh festival on at the time in Prayagraj. 'There was a big headload falling from one of the passengers and the pressure was passed on to the stairs of platforms 14/15, resulting in the tripping of passengers,' Vaishnaw said in his parliamentary reply. The incident occurred at 8.48pm on foot-over-bridge 3. The victims died from traumatic asphyxia, according to post-mortem examinations. The committee found that while sufficient crowd management protocols were in place, passenger density had gradually increased on the foot-over-bridge after 8.15pm. Many passengers were carrying large headloads, hampering smooth movement on the narrow 25-foot-wide footbridge before the fatal accident, the committee found. At the time, HT reported citing Railway records that 7,600 unreserved tickets were sold that evening at a rate of 1,500 per hour with crowds building up from 6pm onwards. The tragedy—the deadliest railway station incident since Mumbai's Elphinstone Road stampede killed 23 people in 2017—had drawn sharp criticism from railway experts, some of who called it a 'completely avoidable incident' and 'classic mismanagement.' To prevent similar tragedies, Indian Railways will implement comprehensive crowd management measures across 73 stations that periodically face heavy passenger rush, the minister told parliament. Permanent holding areas will be created outside these stations, building on the temporary arrangements made during the 2024 festival season. Pilot projects are already underway at New Delhi, Anand Vihar, Varanasi, Ayodhya, and Ghaziabad. Passengers will only be allowed onto platforms when trains arrive, helping to decongest station areas, Vaishnaw said. The railways will introduce complete access control at the 73 identified stations. Passengers with confirmed reserved tickets will get direct platform access, while those without tickets or on waiting lists must wait in designated outside areas. All unauthorised entry points will be sealed. New foot-over-bridge designs—12 metres wide and 6 metres wide—will replace existing narrow structures across all stations. These wider bridges with ramps proved effective during the recent Mahakumbh festival. Advanced surveillance systems, including CCTV networks and war rooms for coordinated crowd management, will be installed. Digital communication equipment such as walkie-talkies and public announcement systems will be deployed at all heavy-traffic stations, the minister stated. The minister also stated that all major stations will have a senior officer designated as station director with financial powers to make immediate decisions during crowd situations. All other departments will report to the station director, who will have overarching responsibility for station operations. Staff will receive new identification cards and uniforms to ensure only authorised personnel can access station premises. Station directors will also control ticket sales based on station capacity and available train services, Vaishnaw added.
News18
22-07-2025
- News18
56 Bengal Women Promised Jobs In Bengaluru, Rescued From Train. Cops Probe Trafficking Angle
The women did not carry any valid tickets and only had coach numbers stamped on their hands, the officials said. As many as 56 young women were rescued from a Bihar-bound train at New Jalpaiguri station in Siliguri, the officials said on Tuesday. They were aged between 18 and 31, and were rescued from the New Jalpaiguri-Patna Capital Express on Monday night. The women belonged to West Bengal's Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar, and Alipurduar districts and were lured with false promises of providing jobs at a Bengaluru-based company. However, they were being sent to Bihar by train. Two persons were also arrested from the train, officials said. None of the rescued women were travelling with valid tickets, and there were only coach and berth numbers stamped on their hands, they added. As the RPF personnel carried out a routine check of the train, they turned suspicious after seeing so many young women travelling together. Their questioning brought to the fore inconsistencies. A man and a woman were arrested from the train after they allegedly gave contradictory statements and failed to explain why the women were being sent to Bihar when they had been promised jobs in Bengaluru, the officials said. The women were returned to their families. (With PTI inputs) view comments First Published: July 22, 2025, 18:20 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Hindustan Times
18-06-2025
- Hindustan Times
Truck rams divider in Agra, 4 dead
Four people, including a mini truck driver and three morning walkers, were killed in a road accident in Agra's Trans Yamuna area on Wednesday morning. The incident occurred when a mango-laden mini loader lost control, rammed into a divider, and struck three men resting by the roadside after a walk. According to Hemant Kumar, assistant commissioner of police (ACP) Chatta, the mishap took place on the flyover near Shahdara police outpost under the Trans Yamuna police station limits. 'The truck, travelling on the opposite channel, veered off course and crashed into the divider, fatally hitting the three pedestrians. The driver, Krishna, 38, was found trapped in the cabin and died on the spot. His cleaner was critically injured and is undergoing treatment.' 'The driver may have dozed off while driving in the early hours, leading to the accident,' ACP Kumar said. The deceased pedestrians were identified as Rameshwar, 52, Hari Babu, 65, and Rajesh Kumar, 55, all local residents. E-way crash leaves two more dead In another incident, a Bihar-bound private sleeper bus collided with a stationary truck near a toll plaza on the Agra-Lucknow Expressway, within Fatehabad police station limits. The accident occurred around 1 am Wednesday, injuring 20 passengers. Two of the injured later died during treatment at the SN Medical College and Hospital.
