At least 18 individuals lost their lives during a stampede at a railway station in India’s capital as frantic crowds rushed to catch trains to the world’s largest religious gathering, according to officials and reports.
The Kumbh Mela draws tens of millions of Hindu devotees every 12 years to the northern city of Prayagraj, and has a notorious history of crowd-related tragedies – including one last month, where at least 30 people perished in a separate stampede at the sacred confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati rivers.
The chaos at the train station in New Delhi reportedly erupted yesterday as throngs struggled to board trains for the ongoing event, which will conclude on 26 February.
“I can confirm 15 deaths at the hospital. None of the victims have visible injuries. Most likely they died from hypoxia or possibly blunt force injuries, though that can only be confirmed after an autopsy,” said Dr. Ritu Saxena, deputy medical superintendent of Lok Nayak Hospital in New Delhi, in a statement to AFP.
We need your consent to load this comcast-player content. We use comcast-player to manage external content that may set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preferences. Broadcaster NDTV reported three additional fatalities from the stampede, citing a source from another local hospital.
The deceased were primarily women and children.
“I have been a coolie since 1981, but I’ve never seen a crowd like this before,” a porter at the railway station told the Times of India.
“People began colliding and fell on the escalator and stairs” when the platform for a special train heading to Prayagraj was unexpectedly changed, the porter recounted.
I am deeply saddened by the stampede at New Delhi Railway Station. My thoughts are with all those who have lost their loved ones. I pray that the injured recover swiftly. Authorities are providing assistance to all affected by this tragic event.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 15, 2025
Railways minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced that a “high-level inquiry” has been initiated to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Mr. Vaishnaw confirmed that additional special trains were being operated from New Delhi to alleviate the influx of devotees.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his distress over the stampede, stating, “My thoughts are with all those who have lost their loved ones. I pray that the injured have a speedy recovery,” in a post on X.
The governor of the National Capital Territory of Delhi, Vinai Kumar Saxena, stated that disaster management teams had been instructed to deploy resources, and “all hospitals are prepared to handle related emergencies.”
The six-week Kumbh Mela represents the most significant event on the Hindu religious calendar, with officials reporting that around 500 million devotees have visited the festival since it commenced last month.
In 1954, over 400 people were trampled or drowned during a single day of the festival, marking one of the deadliest crowd-related disasters globally. Another 36 individuals lost their lives in 2013, which was the last occurrence of the festival in Prayagraj.
