Days after the tragic stampede at New Delhi Railway Station, which claimed the lives of 18 people, the Railway Protection Force (RPF) has released a detailed report shedding light on the events that led to the chaos. According to the report, a series of announcements, overcrowding, and lack of crowd control led to the deadly incident on Saturday night.

The chain of events leading to the stampede

The RPF’s report, which was reviewed by Hindustan Times, says that two different announcements about the Kumbh Special train going to Prayagraj caused confusion and helped trigger the stampede. The first announcement, made around 8:00 pm, said the train would leave from Platform 12. But just three minutes later, another announcement said the train would leave from Platform 16. This caused panic among passengers, as they didn't know which platform to go to.

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According to the report, passengers from platforms 12, 13, 14, and 15 began moving toward pedestrian bridges 2 and 3, using the staircases. However, passengers waiting for other trains, such as the Magadh Express, Uttar Sampark Kranti Express, and Prayagraj Express, were also trying to use the same staircases. The jostling led to some passengers slipping on the stairs and getting trampled by others. The heavy crowd caused a situation where people were unable to move freely.

Crowd overload and lack of control

The situation worsened after the departure of the Shiv Ganga Express from Platform 12 at around 8:15 pm. The crowd at the station grew larger, causing pedestrian bridges 2 and 3 to become overcrowded. To manage the situation, the RPF’s assistant security commissioner (ASC/NDLS) visited the bridges and assessed the crowd. The report mentioned that the ASC instructed the station director to stop the sale of tickets due to the heavy rush. He also suggested that special trains be started as soon as they were filled with passengers.

Despite these efforts, the situation continued to spiral out of control. At around 8:45 pm, another announcement was made, stating that the Prayagraj-bound Kumbh Special would depart from Platform 12. However, soon after, another announcement confirmed that the train would actually depart from Platform 16. This led to confusion among the passengers and resulted in a stampede-like situation. As the crowd was already thick with passengers from the Magadh Express, Uttar Sampark Kranti Express, and Prayagraj Express, movement came to a complete halt.

The role of CCTV and limited personnel

The report also pointed out a big problem with the station’s security system. The CCTV camera that should have been recording the bridge and staircase where the stampede happened was not working, so there is no video of the incident. This made it hard to fully investigate what happened. However, other CCTV cameras near the escalators were working.

Police investigations found that usually, 270 RPF personnel are assigned to manage crowds at New Delhi Railway Station. But on the night of the stampede, only 80 officers were on duty because the rest had been sent to Prayagraj for crowd control during the Kumbh Mela. This lack of staff made it harder to control the crowd, which contributed to the stampede.

The stampede has raised serious concerns about how crowds are managed and the safety measures in place. Despite warnings and attempts to manage the situation, the overcrowding, confusing announcements, and not having enough personnel led to the tragic deaths.

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