At least 18 people, including five children, were killed and over a dozen were injured in a stampede at New Delhi Railway Station on Saturday night, which was caused by a sudden surge of passengers waiting to board trains for Prayagraj, where the Maha Kumbh Mela is underway.
The incident took place on foot-overbridges connecting platforms 14 and 15, when some passengers slipped while descending, causing panic and a deadly crush.
While some sources said delays in train departures and the sale of 1,500 general tickets every hour may have created a chaotic situation at the station, others indicated that wrong announcement about change of platforms may have created confusion that led to the stampede, PTI reported.
Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has ordered an inquiry and set up a two-member high-level committee to investigate the lapses.
Here are updates on New Delhi Railway Station stampede: