Stampede at New Delhi Railway Station Claims 18 Lives as Unprecedented Crowd Gathers for Maha Kumbh Mela

New Delhi: A massive and unanticipated crowd gathered at the New Delhi railway station late Saturday night, hoping to board trains to Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj for the Maha Kumbh Mela. The overwhelming rush soon turned into a tragic stampede, leaving at least 18 people dead, including five children.

Eyewitnesses recounted harrowing scenes of panic and chaos as thousands surged towards the platforms. Many described the crowd as “never seen before” and lamented that help from authorities arrived only when it was too late. “It was absolute mayhem. People were falling over each other, and there was no control,” said one survivor.

नई दिल्ली रेलवे स्टेशन पर भगदड़ का खौफनाक मंजर…

ये वीडियो आपको अंदर तक हिला कर रख देगा!

भीड़ प्रबंधन में इतनी बड़ी लापरवाही क्यों?
pic.twitter.com/YQmXyuWL4G

— Prakash Raj Satire (@PrakashRofl) February 15, 2025

Victims Identified

Authorities have now released the list of victims who lost their lives in the devastating incident. The youngest among them was just seven years old, while the eldest was a 79-year-old woman. The full list is as follows:

1. Aaha Devi, w/o Ravindee Nath, r/o Buxar, Bihar – Age 79 years
2. Pinky Devi, w/o Upender Sharma, r/o Sangam Vihar, Delhi – Age 41 years
3. Sheela Devi, w/o Umesh Giri, r/o Sarita Vihar, Delhi – Age 50 years
4. Lalita Devi, w/o Santosh, r/o Purnia, Bihar – Age 35 years
5. Suruchi, d/o Manoj Shah, r/o Muzaffarpur, Bihar – Age 11 years
6. Krishna Devi, w/o Vijay Shah, r/o Samastipur, Bihar – Age 40 years
7. Vijay Sah, s/o Ram Sarup Sah, r/o Samastipur, Bihar – Age 15 years
8. Neeraj, s/o Inderjeet Paswan, r/o Vaishali, Bihar – Age 12 years
9. Shanti Devi, w/o Raj Kumar Manjhi, r/o Nawada, Bihar – Age 40 years
10. Pooja Kumar, d/o Raj Kumar Manjhi, r/o Nawada, Bihar – Age 8 years
11. Sangeeta Malik, w/o Mohit Malik, r/o Bhiwani, Haryana – Age 34 years
12. Poonam, w/o Virender Singh, r/o Mahavir Enclave – Age 34 years
13. Mamta Jha, w/o Vipin Jha, r/o Nangloi, Delhi – Age 40 years
14. Riya Singh, d/o Opil Singh, r/o Sagarpur, Delhi – Age 7 years
15. Baby Kumari, d/o Prabhu Sah, r/o Bijwasan, Delhi – Age 24 years
16. Manoj, s/o Panchdev Kushwaha, r/o Nangloi, Delhi – Age 47 years

Authorities Under Fire

Following the tragedy, questions have been raised about the lack of crowd management and preparedness at the railway station. Many commuters expressed frustration over inadequate security and failure to control the surging crowd. “There was no proper arrangement for handling such a large gathering. The authorities must take responsibility,” said a relative of one of the victims.

Railway officials have assured a full investigation into the incident and promised better crowd control measures in the future. Meanwhile, compensation has been announced for the families of the deceased, though many believe that no amount can truly make up for the tragic loss.

The Maha Kumbh Mela, one of the largest religious gatherings in the world, has often seen massive footfalls, but this year’s rush has surpassed expectations, leading to deadly consequences. Authorities are now under pressure to prevent further mishaps as pilgrims continue their journey to Prayagraj.