New Delhi, March 24 A 'stampede-like atmosphere' was averted at the New Delhi Railway Station on Sunday with prompt implementation of crowd-control measures and no injuries were reported, the Delhi Police said.
Delays in multiple trains led to heavy congestion at platforms 12 and 13 of New Delhi Railway Station, railway officials said.
Senior Railway Protection Force officials and the Delhi Police managed the situation, ensuring crowd control, they added.
The Railway Ministry confirmed no stampede occurred, and protocols for unreserved passengers were followed.
No injuries were reported, the Ministry said.
The Railways Ministry, however, said there was a heavy rush at the station but that there was "no stampede or stampede-like situation".
A huge crowd gathered at platform numbers 12 and 13 due to a delay in the departure of four trains.
Northern Railway CPRO Himanshu Shekhar Upadhyay told IANS, "There has been no incident, no stampede, and no stampede-like situation —such claims are completely baseless. New Delhi Railway Station experiences peak traffic in the evening, and being a Sunday and weekend, the crowd was larger than usual. Immediate crowd control measures were implemented, and the situation is normal..."
"A large number of passengers had gathered at platform numbers 12 and 13 of New Delhi Railway Station due to a delay in the departure of Shiv Ganga Express, Swatantrata Senani Express, Jammu Rajdhani Express, Lucknow Mail and Magadh Express. Due to the cumulative effect of these delays, heavy passenger congestion was observed at the platforms. The situation turned chaotic and led to a stampede-like atmosphere, resembling the crowd management challenges witnessed during the Mahakumbh arrangements in the past. Necessary crowd control measures had to be promptly taken to avoid any untoward incident. No injuries reported," the Delhi Police said.
In a statement, the Ministry of Railways clarified, "There was a heavy rush at New Delhi Railway Station, but there was no stampede or stampede-like situation. The protocol of guiding unreserved passengers through the holding area is being followed to ensure safety."
The situation prompted further scrutiny of crowd management procedures at the station, highlighting the need for enhanced measures during peak travel times.
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