Incident Overview

A tragic incident at New Delhi Railway Station resulted in the deaths of 18 people and injuries to 15 others. Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw attributed the tragedy to a “big headload” that fell from a passenger, causing a chain reaction that led to passengers tripping on the stairs. This explanation was provided in response to a query from Samajwadi Party MP Ramji Lal Suman during a session in the Rajya Sabha.

Details of the Inquiry

The incident occurred on February 15, coinciding with a surge of passengers heading to Prayagraj for the Maha Kumbh Mela. A high-level inquiry committee was established to investigate the circumstances surrounding the event. The minister shared findings from this report, which highlighted that many passengers were carrying large headloads, complicating movement on the foot overbridge (FOB). The situation escalated when one such headload fell, causing pressure on the stairs of platforms 14 and 15, leading to multiple passengers falling.

Government Response and Compensation

In response to the tragedy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his distress over the incident. The government has provided compensation to the victims’ families: Rs 10 lakh for each deceased victim, Rs 2.5 lakh for those seriously injured, and Rs 1 lakh for those with minor injuries. In total, Rs 2.01 crore has been distributed among 33 victims and their families.

Measures for Future Prevention

To prevent similar incidents, the railways have implemented several measures aimed at improving crowd management. These include establishing permanent holding areas, controlling access for confirmed ticket holders at 73 stations, expanding foot overbridges, installing CCTV cameras, and setting up war rooms at major stations. The Maha Kumbh Mela’s record ticket sales underscored the necessity of these measures to ensure safety during large gatherings.