Heartbreak and Anger After Deadly Crush at Delhi Railway Station
A tragic crowd crush at New Delhi Railway Station on Saturday night has left at least 18 people dead and many others injured, sparking grief and anger among families of the victims.
The incident, reportedly triggered when a passenger slipped and fell on the stairs, was compounded by overcrowding as two delayed trains and a third train bound for the massive Kumbh Mela religious festival caused a surge of passengers at the station.
Survivors and families of the victims described chaotic scenes, blaming authorities for failing to manage the swelling crowds.
“I met her at the platform, and we were walking on the footbridge when she was trapped in the crush. She died in front of my eyes,” said Bipin Jha, whose wife Mamta was among the victims.
“We were on the stairs when we suddenly felt a push from behind. We fell, along with many others, and were trapped under bodies,” recounted Seema, who lost her sister-in-law Pinky Devi in the disaster.
Umesh Giri, whose wife Shilam Devi was among the deceased, said the crowd became uncontrollable, with people colliding and collapsing over one another.
Families of victims have criticized Indian Railways and law enforcement, accusing them of failing to manage the crowd and delaying rescue efforts.
At Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Hospital, where many of the victims were taken, grieving relatives expressed frustration over conditions inside. Shobha, the sister-in-law of one victim, claimed multiple patients were crammed onto a single bed.
At Lady Hardinge Hospital, the devastated family of 7-year-old Riya completed paperwork to receive her body.
“No child deserves to die like this,” her uncle Vivek said, wiping away tears.
Opposition leaders have blamed the government, alleging that Indian Railways failed to anticipate and manage the surge of passengers. Officials have announced compensation for victims, but families say more needs to be done to prevent such tragedies in the future.
A formal investigation has been launched, but as grief-stricken families mourn their loved ones, many are demanding accountability for a disaster that they believe could have been prevented.