Falling off the tracks again

New Delhi stampede underscores the need for better crowd control during events like the Maha Kumbh

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The stampede that resulted in the death of at least 18 people at the New Delhi railway station on Saturday night was a tragedy waiting to happen, sparked by a combination of events both one-off and ubiquitous. The platform where the accident happened is always crowded. Indeed, a few hours after the stampede, it was again choked with people. Why? And why did Indian Railways think it was alright to sell far more general tickets than the train's capacity? Did the announcement of a new special train, also headed to Prayagraj but from a different platform, or delays in other trains departing from the same platform contribute to the crowding and chaos? What was unconscionable was the initial reaction of the authorities — not very different from that to the stampede at Prayagraj last month. Denial, then an attempt to downplay the loss of lives (starkly highligh