Congress targets Centre over Delhi station stampede, demands 'exact figures' of dead

"The news of several people dying and many getting injured due to the stampede at New Delhi Railway Station is extremely sad and distressing. I express my deepest condolences to the bereaved families and hope for the speedy recovery of the injured," Gandhi said.

He accused the Centre and the railway administration of failing to anticipate the crowd surge, particularly given the ongoing Maha Kumbh in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj.

"This incident once again highlights the failure of the Railways and the insensitivity of the government. Considering the large number of devotees going to Prayagraj, better arrangements should have been made at the station. The government and administration should ensure that no one has to lose their life due to mismanagement and negligence," Gandhi added.

Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra called the loss of lives "extremely sad."

"The news of the death of many people including women and children in the stampede due to crowd at New Delhi Railway Station is extremely sad. May God grant peace to the departed souls. My deepest condolences to the bereaved families. I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured," she said.

Party leader KC Venugopal called the stampede a "massive calamity" and raised questions about the Centre's handling of the situation while demanding that it reveals the exact death toll.

"This kind of a disaster taking place in the national capital, under the direct watch of the Central Government, shows that the government is utterly incompetent and is only capable of PR, not actual management. The Government has again tried to downplay the situation. When will we know the exact figures of the dead and injured? Why were crowd control measures not in place? Why did the railways not run special trains when they knew this crowd was to be anticipated in light of the Mahakumbh? he asked.

At least 18 people, including 11 women and four children, died after a sudden rush of passengers caused by the delay of two trains for the Maha Kumbh led to an overcrowding situation at the New Delhi railway station on Saturday night, media reports said.

The Indian Railways has ordered an inquiry and announced financial assistance of Rs. 10 lakh for the victims' families, Rs. 2.5 lakh for those severely injured, and Rs 1 lakh for minor injuries.

Nine victims were from Bihar, eight from Delhi, and one from Haryana.

The Railways has asked its personnel to accompany those who have lost their family members to their hometowns outside Delhi.

President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have expressed grief over the incident.

How the chaos unfolded

The overcrowding began around 8 PM on platforms 14 and 15, where passengers were waiting for trains to Prayagraj.

The situation worsened as delays in the Swatantrata Senani Express and Bhubaneshwar Rajdhani resulted in passengers gathering in large numbers on platforms 12, 13, and 14.

Meanwhile, the Prayagraj Express was already stationed at platform 14, which added to the congestion.

Post the incident, distressing visuals from the station appeared. Clothes, slippers, shoes, and other belongings lay scattered across the platforms and staircases, bearing testimony to the intensity of the commotion.

The railway administration deployed additional security personnel to manage the situation.

Four fire engines were also dispatched to the site.