'Found My Sister After Half an Hour... She Was Dead': Man Recounts Stampede Horror at New Delhi Railway Station

New Delhi: Tragedy struck passengers at the New Delhi Railway Station after an unprecedented rush at platforms 13 and 14 caused a stampede and claimed 18 lives. Eyewitnesses including the kin of the deceased have narrated horrific details of the tragedy. One of the men, who lost his sister, shared how he tried to save his sister but she had passed away.

'Found My Sister After Half an Hour... She Was Dead'

Sanjay, the brother of one of the deceased, recounted the stampede horror at the New Delhi Railway Station. He recalled how he was travelling along with 11 family members, to Prayagraj for the Maha Kumbh by the Prayagraj Express. He recounted that his family could not even reach the platform when a massive rush took over the stairs. He managed to save the rest of his family members including his young daughter but he lost his sister.

He said that in the massive rush and the stampede situation, his sister got lost and it was after half an hour of frantically looking for her, that they found her but she had already died by then. The heartbroken brother shared how he carried his sister's body from one railway track to another, lay her down, gave her mouth-to-mouth, rubbed her hands and feet and gave her CPR for almost an hour, in the hope that she would come back to life. Unfortunately, she had died and despite several efforts, she could not be revived.

Harrowing Eyewitness Accounts of New Delhi Railway Station Stampede

One of the victims told reporters that his mother had died in the stampede. He said, "We were travelling to our home in Chhapra, Bihar , in a group, but my mother lost her life in the chaos. People were pushing each other." He added, "The doctor has confirmed to us that my mother has died." Another family member of the deceased, a woman, collapsed in grief.

One of the passengers, Dharmendra Singh, said, "I was going to Prayagraj but many trains were running late or were cancelled. The station was overcrowded. There were far more people than I have ever seen at this station. In front of me, six or seven women were taken away on stretchers."

Another passenger, Pramod Chaurasia, said, "I had a sleeper-class ticket for Purushottam Express but even those with confirmed tickets could not board the train. One of my friends and a female passenger got stuck in the crowd. There was too much pushing and jostling. We managed to stay safe by waiting outside with our children."

14 Women and 4 Children Among 18 Killed in NDLS Stampede

The stampede caused at the New Delhi Railway Station at around 10 pm on Saturday has claimed 18 lives so far and the death toll is expected to rise further. The passengers who have lost their lives include 14 women and four children. Several others have been seriously injured and were taken to the LNJP Hospital, where they are undergoing treatment.

The names of the deceased are - 

1. Aaha Devi W/o Ravindee Nath R/o Buxure Bihar Age 79 Years
2. Pinky Devi W/o Upender Sharma R/o Sangam Vihar Delhi Age 41 Years
3. Sheela Devi W/o Umesh Giri R/o Sarita Vihar Delhi Age 50 Years
4. Vyom S/o Dharamveer R/o Bawana Delhi Age 25 Years
5. Poonam Devi W/o Megh Nath R/o Saran Bihar Age 40 Years
6. Lalita Devi W/o Santosh R/o Parna Bihar Age 35 Years
7. Suruchi D/o Manoj Shah R/o Muzaffarpur Bihar Age 11 Years
8. Krishna Devi W/o Vijay Shah R/o Samastipur Bihar Age 40 Years
9. Vijay Sah S/o Ram Sarup Sah R/o Samastipur Bihar Age 15 Years
10. Neeraj S/o Inderjeet Paswan R/o Vaishali Bihar Age 12 Years
11. Shanti Devi W/o Raj Kumar Manjhi R/o Nawada Bihar Age 40 Years
12. Pooja Kumar D/o Raj Kumar Manjhi R/o Nawada Bihar Age 8 Years
13. Sangeeta Malik W/o Mohit Malik R/o Bhiwani Haryana Age 34 Years
14. Poonam W/o Virender Singh R/o Mahavir Enclave Age 34 Years
15. Mamta Jha W/o Vipin Jha R/o Nangloi Delhi Age 40 Years
16. Riya Singh D/o Opil Singh R/o Sagarpur Delhi Age 7 Years
17. Baby Kumari D/o Prabhu Sah R/o Bijwasan Delhi Age 24 Years
18. Manoj  S/o Panchdev Kushwaha R/o Nangloi Delhi Age 47 Years

A compensation has been announced for the kin of the deceased and those who have been injured in the stampede at the New Delhi Railway Station. The families of the deceased will be given Rs 10 lakh compensation, those who have been seriously injured will be given Rs 2.5 lakh and Rs 1 lakh will be given to the passengers who have suffered minor injuries.

According to authorities, the stampede occurred as a massive crowd gathered at platform no. 14, where the Prayagraj Express was stationed. Delays in the departures of Swatantrata Senani Express and Bhubaneswar Rajdhani further exacerbated the congestion, leading to overcrowding at platforms 12, 13, and 14. Reports indicate that around 1,500 general tickets were sold, resulting in an overwhelming rush, particularly near platform no. 14 and the escalator at platform no. 1. 

(Inputs from Agencies)