Chaos at New Delhi Railway Station: Last-Minute Announcements Spark Deadly Stampede
A last-minute announcement at New Delhi Railway Station triggered a deadly stampede, killing 20. Authorities now plan AI-based crowd control.
Deadly Stampede at New Delhi Railway Station: Sudden Announcement Triggers Chaos, Indian Railways Plans AI-Based Crowd Control Measures
A catastrophic stampede at New Delhi Railway Station on Saturday, February 15, claimed 20 lives following a spontaneous announcement that prompted an outburst in the crowd. The impromptu instruction, made without any regard to the already packed station, saw chaos erupt as people scrambled onto trains bound for the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj. The absence of cautionary measures in the announcement has caused serious doubts, and Railway authorities have decided to constitute a high-power committee to probe the accident.
The eyewitnesses narrated that it was a scene of utter chaos with people being trapped in a crush on the staircase. There were many women and children among the victims from Bihar, Delhi, and Haryana. The victims who died were between just 7 years and 79 years of age. Early reports had identified 18 victims, among them Asha Devi (79), Pinky Devi (41), and Riya Singh (7), but the police subsequently added two more victims. The magnitude of the tragedy brought to the fore the collapse of crowd management at one of the country’s most congested railway stations.
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To the tragedy, the Indian Railways declared compensation to the families of the victims—Rs 10 lakh for the killed, Rs 25 lakh for the seriously injured, and Rs 1 lakh for those with minor injuries. The incident has, however, drawn criticism against the government regarding the inadequacy of preparations to meet large crowds, especially during significant events such as the Maha Kumbh Mela.
To avoid such catastrophes in the future, Indian Railways has chosen to use artificial intelligence (AI) for crowd surveillance and management. Authorities announced that permanent holding pools would be made at around 60 railway stations across the country, targeting locations that witness peak traffic during festivals or religious affairs. The stampede has driven home the compelling necessity for the improvement of infrastructure and management in order to assure passenger safety within congested terminals.
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With the Maha Kumbh Mela drawing huge crowds, railway stations all over the nation are witnessing an all-time high in passengers. This disaster is a stark reminder of the price of poor planning and the urgent need for improved safety measures at transport points. The probe into the stampede will reveal what went wrong and what needs to be done to avoid such accidents in the future.
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