At least 18 individuals have lost their lives in a stampede at a railway station in India’s capital as large crowds rushed to board trains for the world’s largest religious gathering, according to officials. The Kumbh Mela, which draws tens of millions of Hindu devotees every 12 years to Prayagraj in northern India, has a history of crowd-related tragedies, including a recent incident last month that resulted in at least 30 fatalities due to another stampede at the sacred confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati rivers.
The chaos at the Delhi train station on Saturday erupted as people struggled to board trains for the ongoing event, which concludes on February 26. Reports indicate that the death toll includes 10 women and three children. Dr. Ritu Saxena, deputy medical superintendent of Lok Nayak hospital in Delhi, confirmed to Agence France-Presse that 15 deaths were recorded at the hospital, with victims likely succumbing to hypoxia or blunt injuries, pending autopsy results. Additionally, 11 others sustained injuries, most of whom are reported to be stable with orthopedic injuries.
NDTV reported that three more fatalities were confirmed by officials from another hospital in the city. A porter at the railway station, who has worked as a coolie since 1981, remarked, “I have never seen a crowd like this before.” He described how people began colliding and falling on the escalator and stairs when a platform for a special train to Prayagraj was unexpectedly shifted.
Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced that a “high-level inquiry” has been initiated to investigate the incident’s causes and that additional special trains are being deployed from Delhi to accommodate the influx of devotees. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences on X, stating, “My thoughts are with all those who have lost their loved ones. I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured. The authorities are assisting all those affected by this stampede.”
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh expressed his deep sorrow over the loss of life, stating, “In this hour of grief, my thoughts are with the bereaved families. I am praying for the swift recovery of the injured.” The governor of Delhi, Vinai Kumar Saxena, indicated that disaster management personnel have been mobilized and that all hospitals are prepared to handle related emergencies.
The six-week Kumbh Mela is a significant event in the Hindu religious calendar, with officials reporting that approximately 500 million devotees have attended the festival since it commenced last month. Historically, the festival has seen devastating crowd-related incidents, including over 400 deaths from trampling or drowning in a single day in 1954, marking one of the highest tolls in such disasters globally. In 2013, 36 individuals were crushed to death during the last Kumbh Mela held in Prayagraj.
