India train station stampede left at least 18 dead in New Delhi as thousands rushed to board trains heading to the massive Kumbh Mela festival.
At least 18 people died in a stampede at a train station in New Delhi, India, on Saturday, February 15, as crowds pushed to board trains bound for the world’s largest religious festival, Kumbh Mela.
Held every 12 years in Prayagraj, the event attracts millions of Hindu devotees.
Authorities reported that the stampede occurred as worshippers scrambled to secure seats on trains bound for the festival, which will conclude on February 26.
Local officials described the incident as the worst stampede the station has witnessed in recent years.
Dr. Ritu Saxena, Deputy Medical Superintendent of Lok Nayak Hospital in New Delhi, confirmed that 15 people were declared dead at the hospital.
“They don’t have any open injury. Most (likely died from) hypoxia or maybe some blunt injury, but that would only be confirmed after an autopsy,” Saxena stated. Eleven others were injured, with most in critical condition, including some suffering from orthopedic trauma.
Three additional fatalities were later confirmed, with most victims being women and children trapped in the crowd.
A porter who has worked at the train station since 1981 said he had never seen such congestion. “People started colliding and fell on the escalator and stairs when the platform for a special train departing for Prayagraj was suddenly shifted,” he told local news.
Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced an investigation into the incident and assured that additional trains would be deployed from New Delhi to ease passenger congestion, especially on festival days.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences to the victims’ families following the tragedy.
New Delhi Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena ordered disaster management personnel to be deployed and ensured hospitals were prepared to handle medical emergencies.
The Kumbh Mela spans six weeks and has drawn over 500 million devotees since it began last month.
The festival has a history of deadly stampedes, including a 1954 incident that killed over 400 people and another in 2013 that claimed 36 lives.