A day after 18 people were killed in a stampede at New Delhi Railway Station, industrialist Anand Mahindra said a structured national strategy to prevent such tragedies in the future was the need of the hour. Describing the incident as a “national tragedy,” the Mahindra Group chairperson said the country needed “to make crowd control and safety an article of faith and a national mission”.<\/p>\n

“We need a template of crowd management that is a combination of technology & process analysis,” Mr Mahindra wrote on X. He also urged Mahindra University’s Engineering and Management schools to work together and develop a concrete plan for effective crowd control. “We all need to chip in,” he added.<\/p>\n

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This is heartbreaking.<\/p>\n

And a national tragedy.<\/p>\n

As the world’s most populous nation, with one of the lowest per capita incomes, we need to make crowd control & safety an article of faith & a national mission.<\/p>\n

We need a template of crowd management that is a combination of\u2026 https:\/\/t.co\/FqPspG2UFN<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) February 16, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The stampede<\/a> occurred around 10 pm on Saturday when thousands of devotees rushed to board a special train to Prayagraj for the Mahakumbh. Eyewitnesses claimed people panicked after rumours spread that the Prayagraj Express would arrive at a different platform, leading to a sudden movement of people. But railway officials dismissed this claim, attributing the incident to overcrowding.<\/p>\n

According to Northern Railway’s Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) Himanshu Upadhyay, the situation escalated<\/a> when passengers coming down from a foot-over bridge towards platforms 14 and 15 slipped and fell, triggering a domino effect. The situation worsened due to delays in the Swatantrata Senani Express and Bhubaneswar Rajdhani, leading to severe congestion at platforms 12, 15, and 16.<\/p>\n

Most of the victims were brought to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, where doctors confirmed chest and abdominal injuries, with asphyxia being the likely cause of death.<\/p>\n

Indian Railways announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the families of the dead, Rs 2.5 lakh for those seriously injured, and Rs 1 lakh for minor injuries.<\/p>\n

Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw confirmed that a “high-level inquiry” had been ordered. A two-member inquiry committee, including Northern Railway’s PCCM Narsingh Deo and PCSC Pankaj Gangwar, has been formed to investigate the cause of the stampede.<\/p>\n

Security at the railway station has been ramped up, with extra police deployment and ropes being used to regulate crowd movement as heavy footfall continues even hours after the tragedy.<\/p>\n

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