NEW DELHI: “I was standing on the platform, waiting for my train, when suddenly I heard loud cries and saw a crowd rushing toward the exit,” said Ramesh Kumar, a 43-year-old from east Delhi. “It felt like a nightmare coming true. People were tumbling down, yelling, and pleading for help. The sight was horrifying and completely disordered. I tried my best to assist as many as possible, but reaching everyone was impossible.”
Passengers at the railway station recounted chilling experiences of the stampede.
Anand Kumar, an accountant from Badarpur who was on his way to the Kumbh Mela, failed to board the train due to the disorder. “I witnessed a woman slipping from the train as she was unable to climb on. The situation was totally chaotic. People kept stumbling over one another, leading to a stampede-like scenario,” he stated. Kumar also mentioned that he dialed the police control room to alert the authorities.
Naval Singh (69), a Faridabad resident traveling with eight companions, shared that they were stopped at the staircase and not permitted to move upstairs. As a massive crowd gathered, individuals behind them started pushing forward, causing many to fall to the ground. The sheer pressure from the crowd made it impossible for them to regain their footing.
Pooja Devi (43) described an experience similar to Singh’s. “The stampede left everyone unable to stand up,” she explained. She attributed the disorder to the closure of staircases. Searching for her two relatives, Devi remarked that children and women suffered the most. “I begged people not to push, but no one paid attention,” she added.
Vandana, who had a confirmed ticket for the Purshottam Express to Mirzapur, said the crowd was so overwhelming that she couldn’t even get on the train.
A young man who saw the catastrophe unfold said, “Mainly women and children got trapped in the stampede. I attempted to help a woman who was wailing in agony, but it was suffocating. People were running frantically in all directions to escape, leaving their belongings behind. I barely made it out myself.”
One survivor complained that he was struggling to breathe.
Railway police and civil defense personnel rushed to aid the injured. Once the platforms were cleared, abandoned footwear, luggage, and water bottles were scattered across the area.
Several videos of the station have surfaced, showing passengers standing in long queues at the railway station, on the tracks, and along the road. Even after the stampede subsided, the platforms and foot overbridges remained overcrowded.
Kailash (46), who had a ticket for the Prayagraj Express, shared that he left Jhajjar at noon and reached New Delhi railway station by 4 PM. His train was scheduled for departure around 10 PM. “As I moved toward the train, I found myself caught in a massive rush. I ran to save myself,” he recounted.
Yogesh (20), who was traveling to Kanpur, said that, for a moment, he thought he wouldn’t survive. “The stampede happened all of a sudden, and I’m shocked that I made it out alive. It felt like there was no escape,” he stated.
