What Set Off Stampede At New Delhi Railway Station? RPF Report Says This...

New Delhi Stampede: A report by the Railway Protection Force (RPF) has blamed conflicting platform announcements for the deadly stampede at New Delhi Railway Station on Saturday night, which killed at least 18 people. The report states that two different announcements were made within three minutes—one directing passengers to Platform 12 for the Kumbh Special train to Prayagraj and another changing it to Platform 16. This sudden switch triggered panic among the crowd, leading to chaos and a stampede. 

While Indian Railways had denied making any announcement about Platform 16, the RPF report contradicts this claim. According to the report, the situation escalated after the Shiv Ganga Express left from Platform 12 at 8:15 PM. A surge of passengers trying to reach their platforms led to overcrowding on foot overbridges (FOBs) 2 and 3, creating a bottleneck. 

What RPF Report Says 

The report, prepared by the RPF’s New Delhi post in-charge inspector, describes how passengers from Platforms 12, 13, 14, and 15 rushed toward FOBs 2 and 3 following the announcements. At the same time, people from the stationary Magadh Express and Uttar Sampark Kranti Express, along with those waiting for the incoming Prayagraj Express, were descending the stairs. The bridges became packed, pushing and shoving began, and several people lost their footing, leading to the fatal stampede. 

Response From Railway Authorities 

The Assistant Security Commissioner (ASC/NDLS) of the RPF quickly assessed the situation and instructed the station director to halt ticket sales and implement crowd control measures. He also directed that special trains depart as soon as they were filled to prevent further congestion. 

Chain Reaction That Led To Stampede 

At 8:45 PM, an announcement was made confirming the Kumbh Special’s departure from Platform 12. However, within minutes, another announcement stated that the train would now leave from Platform 16. The abrupt change caused confusion among passengers, many of whom were already standing on Platforms 14 and 15 for other trains. The resulting movement of people in different directions created chaos, ultimately leading to the stampede. 

However, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw Monday ruled out platform change announcement as a cause of the stampede, saying, "The inquiry committee is looking into it deeply." 

CCTV Cameras Were Not Working 

Preliminary investigations found that CCTV cameras on the footbridges and stairs where the stampede occurred were non-functional, leaving no direct footage of the incident. However, cameras near the escalators at the back of the stairs were operational. 

Severe Staff Shortage 

A senior police officer revealed that while 270 RPF personnel are usually deployed for crowd management at New Delhi Railway Station, only 80 were on duty that night, as many had been sent to Prayagraj. 

The incident has raised serious concerns over railway crowd management and infrastructure preparedness during peak travel seasons.