Two persons were on Sunday killed and at least 15 passengers injured when a last minute change of platform for a Patna-bound train triggered a stampede at the New Delhi Railway Station, facing summer rush.
The stampede was triggered at around 2:50 PM as soon as the Bihar Sampark Kranti Express arrived on the Platform No 12.
The train was scheduled to depart from Platform No 13. However, the platform was changed minutes before departure.
Passengers pushed and jostled to move to Platform No 12 with their baggage which resulted in a stampede-like situation, officials said. A woman and a child were killed in the stampede.
Around 15 people suffered injuries, fire brigade officials said. "There were a lot of people on the platform to catch the train.
The last minute change in the platform resulted in the stampede," an official said. Police received a call about the incident at around 2:50 PM and activated the rescue operation mechanism.
The Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) had said in a text message that police had reported to it about the stampede in the railway station in which "few people" were injured.
The deceased woman is aged 35 and hails from Uttar Pradesh's Bahadurgarh. The child, who died in the incident, is about ten-years-old and yet to be identified, officials said.
"There were two trains -- Sapkranti and Vikramsila Express -- which were to leave Platforms 12 and 13 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. Bhudla Kutty, General Manager of Northern Railways, said the Railways will enquire into the incident. Imran, who was to board the Patna-bound train, fell down while trying to enter it.
"I was to go to Bhagalpur. The last minute change of the platform led to this incident. We started running as soon as we came to know that the train is coming on another platform," he said.
Sumitra Devi, another stranded passenger, said, "I have a wedding at my home. We were taking clothes and other materials for the marriage. My uncle is injured in the incident. We have nothing left. All our belongings got lost in the incident. How will we marry off our daughter."
Following is the list of dead and injured in Sunday's stampede in New Delhi Railway Station: Dead: 1. Soni (35), W/o Raju Singh Parbat village, Bihar 2. Unknown boy (10 years). Grievously Injured Person: 1. Sonam, D/o Kanchan and Sanjay. Simple Injuries: 1. Menal (25), Madipura, Bihar 2. Rekha (24), Ghaziabad, UP 3. Kanchan (28), Bhagalpur, Bihar 4. Anil, Begusarai, Bihar 5. Ashok Jha (46), Jharkhand 6. Vimal (30), Madipura, Bihar 7. Ravi Kumar (30), Ghaziabad, UP. PTI
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