NEW DELHI: At least 15 people lost their lives in a stampede at a railway station in India’s capital on Saturday night, as large crowds rushed to board trains heading to the Kumbh Mela, the world’s largest religious gathering, a hospital official confirmed.
The Kumbh Mela, held every 12 years in the northern city of Prayagraj, draws millions of Hindu pilgrims. However, the event has a history of tragic crowd incidents, including a recent stampede last month at the sacred confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati rivers, which claimed at least 30 lives.
Saturday’s chaos erupted at New Delhi’s railway station as devotees scrambled to secure seats on trains bound for the festival, which is set to conclude on February 26.
Dr. Ritu Saxena, deputy medical superintendent at Lok Nayak Hospital, confirmed the fatalities, stating that the victims showed no visible external injuries. “Most likely, they succumbed to hypoxia or blunt force trauma, but the exact cause will be determined after autopsies,” she told AFP. She also reported that 11 others sustained injuries, mostly fractures, though their conditions were stable.
Expressing his sorrow over the tragedy, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said he was “deeply saddened by the loss of lives due to the stampede” and extended condolences to the bereaved families. “Praying for the speedy recovery of the injured,” he wrote on social media.
Vinai Kumar Saxena, the governor of Delhi, ordered disaster management teams to be deployed and instructed hospitals to remain on high alert to handle emergencies.
Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced that additional special trains were being arranged from New Delhi to accommodate the surge of devotees.
The Kumbh Mela is a major event on the Hindu religious calendar, drawing millions of pilgrims seeking spiritual purification. Officials estimate that around 500 million people have attended the ongoing festival since it began last month.
Crowd-related tragedies have marked past editions of the Kumbh Mela. One of the deadliest incidents occurred in 1954 when over 400 people were killed after being trampled or drowning in the river. In 2013, during the last Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, 36 devotees lost their lives in a similar stampede.
