Cyclic Negligence

The stampede at New Delhi Railway Station has killed at least 18 people and injured several others.

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The grim incident is yet another reminder of the inherent shortcomings that plague Indian Railways, especially in terms of crowd management.

The chaos is reported to have unfolded when thousands of people rushed to board trains heading to Prayagraj for the Maha Kumbh. A last-minute platform change announcement, it is alleged, caused panic, and as people tried to move, some slipped while coming down a foot-over bridge, eventually triggering a deadly domino effect.

Senior railway officers have refuted the claims of last-minute platform change. Eyewitnesses have described scenes of horror—people trapped, unable to move, some climbing railings in desperation, others crushed underfoot. The station was reportedly littered with abandoned belongings, including shoes, torn bags, etc. Security personnel tried to intervene, but the sheer number of passengers made crowd control nearly impossible.

Despite a considerable loss of life, the response from the authorities followed a predictable pattern. The government quickly announced compensation for the victims' families and formed an inquiry committee, but critics argue, and rightly so, that this is just damage control.