Day after stampede, New Delhi railway station remains overcrowded
New Delhi, Feb 16 (PTI): A day after a deadly stampede at the New Delhi railway station claimed 18 lives, the station remained overcrowded on Sunday with thousands of passengers struggling to board trains amid heavy rush.
Despite additional measures, the influx of passengers -- many of them Maha Kumbh pilgrims travelling to the city of Triveni Sangam -- continued with the sheer volume of travellers making the situation difficult to handle for authorities.
Foot-over bridges, staircases and platforms were packed with anxious travellers, many of whom were unaware of special train schedules leading to confusion. Long queues before water stalls added to the chaos, while passengers carrying heavy luggage struggled to navigate through the surging crowds.
The Saturday's stampede occurred at around 10 pm when a surge of passengers, confused by a mix-up in train announcements, rushed towards platform 16 via a narrow stairway.
Trapped between those trying to move up and others trying to descend, the crowd turned into a human bottleneck. Within minutes, panic spread, and people began falling, leading to a horrifying crush.
Yet, the congestion remained largely unchanged several hours later, with thousands still jostling for space on platforms and foot-over bridges.
"Even after what happened on Saturday, the situation is the same. We are trying our best, but the number of people is too high," said an RPF officer stationed at platform 16.
Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel were closely monitoring the situation, looking inside trains through windows to assist passengers and using small microphones to give instructions. They were seen urging travellers to wait for the next special train to Triveni Sangam, where the world's largest gathering, Maha Kumbh, is taking place.
Senior RPF officials, including DCP (Railways) K P S Malhotra and Special CP Robin Hibu, kept inspecting crowd management on platforms 14, 15, and 16 at regular intervals.
Delhi Police officials were also present to assist in controlling the massive rush.
With general tickets being issued at an estimated rate of 1,500 per hour, the passenger surge continued to strain resources.
Prayagraj special trains are departing at more than double their capacity, with people clinging to doors, stuffing themselves into packed compartments, and even climbing through train windows in desperation.
In the New Delhi-Bihar Sampark Kranti Express, which does not even travel to Prayagraj, the rush was so intense that passengers pushed and shoved their way into the train. RPF personnel had to physically close doors to prevent further overcrowding.
In a distressing incident, a girl aged around 15 years was seen crying inside the overcrowded train due to suffocation, while her mother, who couldn't board the train due to the rush wept helplessly.
"Don't worry, you will reach safely," she said, trying to reassure her child as the packed train departed, leaving many families separated.
"The number of people inside the train was so high that no one could even move. If anything had gone wrong inside, it would have been impossible to get out," said a stranded passenger.
Additional RPF personnel were deployed, and senior officials making regular rounds of the station to monitor the situation. The foot-over bridge and staircase, where Saturday's disaster unfolded, remained crowded as pilgrims rushed towards their trains.
Railway officials acknowledged that the passenger surge is overwhelming but said efforts are being made to manage the situation.
The rush to Prayagraj is expected to continue for days, making crowd control a constant challenge. The ongoing Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj will continue till February 26.
"We are working at full capacity, but managing such a large number of passengers is not easy," said an RPF official.
Meanwhile, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has ordered a high-level inquiry into the stampede and announced additional special trains to manage the rush.
Two senior officials have been appointed to investigate the causes of the stampede, but on the ground, the crowd remains difficult to manage.
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4 workers die after being buried under coal slurry in Jharkhand's Dhanbad
Dhanbad (Jharkhand) (PTI): At least four workers died after being buried under coal slurry in Jharkhand's Dhanbad district on Saturday, a police official said.
The incident took place at Moonidih coal washery in the command area of Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL).
"Bodies of all four workers were dug out of debris during a rescue operation," Putki police station in-charge Waqar Hussain told PTI.
The incident took place when coal slurry was being loaded into trucks by workers, during which a large chunk of slurry fell and trapped several workers underneath, officials said.
The deceased have been identified as Manik Bauri, Dinesh Bauri, Deepak Bauri, and Hemlal Gope.
Meanwhile, the family members of the deceased and local villagers placed the bodies in front of the washery gate and began a protest.
They demanded compensation, jobs for dependents and action against those responsible for the incident.
Police and administration officials are trying to pacify the protesters, an official said.
