Stampede at New Delhi Railway Station Triggered by Fallen Luggage, High-Level Probe Reveals; 18 Dead

New Delhi: A high-level inquiry into the deadly stampede at New Delhi Railway Station on February 15, which claimed 18 lives, has concluded that a single moment of chaos triggered by a fallen piece of luggage was the root cause of the tragedy. The findings, shared in the Rajya Sabha by Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, shed light on the fragile nature of crowd control at India’s busiest transport hubs.

The incident occurred around 8:48 PM on the Foot Over Bridge-3, which connects platforms 14 and 15, during a peak travel time when thousands of pilgrims had gathered to board trains heading towards Prayagraj for a religious event. The crowd was already strained by limited space, and many passengers were reportedly carrying large bags and bedding on their heads.

The probe revealed that the triggering event was the slipping and falling of heavy baggage from a passenger’s head. The sudden drop caused confusion, leading to people stumbling and falling on the stairway. In a matter of seconds, the situation turned into a full-fledged stampede, as others behind were unaware and continued moving forward, adding pressure to an already congested stairway.

Officials emphasized that while the chaos was largely contained to the stairwell, the design limitations, lack of real-time crowd control, and inadequate monitoring of passenger movement played key roles in worsening the situation.

“This was a deeply unfortunate incident, and we have lost precious lives due to what could have been a preventable chain reaction,” said Minister Vaishnaw. He added that the report will serve as a blueprint for reforming crowd management and safety mechanisms at major stations nationwide.