High-level inquiry ordered after 15 killed in stampede at New Delhi Railway Station
A tragic incident occurred at the New Delhi Railway Station on Saturday night, leaving at least 15 people dead and several others injured in a stampede. The incident occurred when passengers of three trains, including the Prayagraj Express, converged on overcrowded platform 14, resulting in chaos and panic.
In the aftermath of the tragedy, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has ordered a high-level inquiry to investigate the circumstances surrounding the stampede. The deceased include three children, which has added to the shock and grief of the incident.
According to eyewitnesses, the stampede began when passengers from the Prayagraj Express, which was arriving at the station, rushed to board the platform 14, which was already crowded with passengers from two other trains. The overcrowding, combined with the sudden surge of people, led to a stampede, resulting in the tragic loss of lives.
The authorities have confirmed that 15 people have lost their lives in the incident, while several others are still being treated for injuries at nearby hospitals. The exact cause of the stampede is still unclear, but officials have launched an investigation to identify the factors that contributed to the tragedy.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has expressed his deep condolences to the families of the victims and has assured that the government will leave no stone unturned to ensure that such incidents do not happen in the future. “The incident is very unfortunate and sad. We will conduct a high-level inquiry to find out what went wrong and take necessary steps to prevent such incidents in the future,” Vaishnaw said in a tweet.
The incident has raised serious concerns about the safety and security measures in place at the New Delhi Railway Station. The station, which is one of the busiest in the country, has been facing issues of overcrowding and congestion for some time now. The recent incident has highlighted the need for immediate action to address these issues and ensure the safety of passengers.
The government has also announced an ex-gratia compensation of Rs 5 lakh each to the families of the deceased, and Rs 1 lakh each to those who were injured in the stampede.
The inquiry ordered by the Railway Minister will probe into the circumstances leading up to the stampede, including the crowd management measures in place at the station, the communication and coordination between the railway authorities and the station staff, and the response time of the emergency services during the incident.
The incident has also raised questions about the preparedness of the railway authorities to handle emergencies and the need for better crowd management measures at the station.
The news of the stampede has sent shockwaves across the country, with people taking to social media to express their condolences to the families of the victims.
The incident is a grim reminder of the importance of safety and security measures at public places, and the need for the authorities to take immediate action to prevent such tragedies from happening in the future.
Source: https://x.com/AshwiniVaishnaw/status/1890844425707721205
