New Delhi:
A woman and a child died and eight others were injured in a stampede at the New Delhi railway station on Sunday that was triggered after a last minute change of platform of a Patna-bound train.
It all started at a staircase between platform 12 and 13 which was choc-a-bloc with thousands of passengers waiting to board two trains that arrived at around the same time.
Among those injured was a family which was travelling to Bhagalpur. But in the melee, their 7-year-old son was injured and they ultimately missed the train.
"My son fell and I fell trying to save him. For a moment I thought that my entire family would get trampled," said the passenger.
But not many were that lucky. Sonal, a two and a half year old girl, died in the stampede.
Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee, however, suggested sabotage was a possibility.
"We do not know if it is a sabotage, a rumour or negligence," Mamata said. (Read: Mamata orders inquiry into Delhi station stampede)
The stampede comes at a time when the government is developing New Delhi as a world class station, ahead of the Commonwealth Games. Crores of rupees have been sanctioned and some renovation work already done yet, for a station that manages thousands of passengers daily, there are little changes that are visible on the ground.
The Railways is struggling for answers.
"It was summer rush and the people who were there to handle the crowds were not adequate," said S S Khurana, Chairman, Railway Board.
But the big question is why Railway authorities were not adequately prepared for the summer rush and what they're planning to do to prevent a tragedy like this from happening again.
Forum: Share your experience of boarding a train from New Delhi Railway Station
It all started at a staircase between platform 12 and 13 which was choc-a-bloc with thousands of passengers waiting to board two trains that arrived at around the same time.
Among those injured was a family which was travelling to Bhagalpur. But in the melee, their 7-year-old son was injured and they ultimately missed the train.
"My son fell and I fell trying to save him. For a moment I thought that my entire family would get trampled," said the passenger.
But not many were that lucky. Sonal, a two and a half year old girl, died in the stampede.
Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee, however, suggested sabotage was a possibility.
"We do not know if it is a sabotage, a rumour or negligence," Mamata said. (Read: Mamata orders inquiry into Delhi station stampede)
The stampede comes at a time when the government is developing New Delhi as a world class station, ahead of the Commonwealth Games. Crores of rupees have been sanctioned and some renovation work already done yet, for a station that manages thousands of passengers daily, there are little changes that are visible on the ground.
The Railways is struggling for answers.
"It was summer rush and the people who were there to handle the crowds were not adequate," said S S Khurana, Chairman, Railway Board.
But the big question is why Railway authorities were not adequately prepared for the summer rush and what they're planning to do to prevent a tragedy like this from happening again.
Forum: Share your experience of boarding a train from New Delhi Railway Station
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