16 May : Two persons have been killed and eight injured in a stampede triggered by a last minute change in platforms for two trains at the New Delhi Railway Station on Sunday, facing summer rush.
The stampede occurred at around 2:45 PM after an announcement was made about the change of platforms for Delhi-Muzaffarpur Sapt Kranti Express and Delhi-Bhagalpur Vikramsila Express.
A 35-year-old woman Soni, hailing from Bhagalpur, and a boy, about 10-12 years of age who is yet to be identified, died in the incident. Eight persons, including three women, were injured, an official said.
Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee ordered an inquiry into the incident, asking officials to take strict action against those responsible and announced a compensation of Rs two lakh to the next of kin of the deceased.
“We do not know whether it is a sabotage or rumour or negligence. Whatever is the case, a high-powered committee will go into the details as to what happened and who all are responsible for it,” the Minister said in Kolkata.
Ashwini Luhani, Divisional Railway Manager, said, “The train (Sapt Kranti) which was to come at platform 13 came at 12 and the train (Vikramsila) which was to come at platform 12 came at 13.”
“The two trains were to leave at around 2:45 pm. The platforms for the trains were interchanged at the last minute and this led to the confusion,” a senior police official said.
Passengers pushed and jostled to move to the other platform with their baggage, the official said. “There were a lot of people. Someone fell on the foot-over-bridge and then people started pushing each other resulting in the stampede,” another official said.
Anil Banerjee, Medical Superintendent of Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Hospital (LNJP), said ten persons were brought to the hospital where two were declared brought dead.