Delhi stampede: Nitish Kumar announces ex-gratia Rs 2 lakh each for kin of deceased from Bihar

Patna (Bihar) [India], February 16 (ANI): Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday expressed grief over the demise of people in an “unfortunate incident” at New Delhi Railway Station, where 18 people, including three children, lost their lives in a stampede caused due to severe overcrowding. He announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each to the families of the deceased hailing from Bihar and Rs 50,000 for those who have sustained injuries. 

“The death of people in the unfortunate incident at New Delhi Railway Station is extremely sad. I pray to God to give the family members of the deceased the strength to bear this sorrow. In this incident, instructions have been given to provide Rs 2 lakh ex-gratia to the family members of the deceased living in Bihar and Rs 50 thousand to the injured from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund. I wish the injured a speedy recovery,” Kumar, who is the Janata Dal (United) chief, posted on X. 

Former Union Railway Minister and RJD Chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, on Sunday, said that the Railway's mismanagement led to the stampede at the New Delhi Railway Station that claimed the lives of at least 18 people.

"The incident is very unfortunate, and I offer my condolences to the victims. This is a mismanagement by the Railway that led to the loss of so many lives. The Railway Minister should take responsibility," the RJD chief told ANI.

When asked about his suggestion regarding crowd management for the Maha Kumbh, he said, "Kumbh ka kahan koi matlab hai. Faaltu hai Kumbh (Kumbh has no meaning. Kumbh is useless)."

The stampede occurred around 10 pm when thousands of devotees were heading to Prayagraj for the Maha Kumbh, causing severe overcrowding at the station.

According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Railway, KPS Malhotra, the incident occurred when a large number of passengers gathered on platform no. 14, where the Prayagraj Express was stationed. Additionally, delays in the departures of the Swatantrata Senani Express and Bhubaneswar Rajdhani led to further congestion at platforms 12, 13, and 14.

An eyewitness described the chaos, stating that the crowd came from both sides after an announcement about a train platform change, leading to the stampede. Another eyewitness recounted the horror, saying that the crowd was beyond control. People from the administration and even NDRF personnel were there, but when the crowd exceeded the limit, it was impossible to manage them.

Most of the bodies of the deceased brought to the national capital's Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital following the stampede at the New Delhi Railway station had injuries on their chest and abdomen areas, with asphyxia being the likely cause of death, according to RML hospital sources.

Medical Superintendent of RML Hospital, Dr Ajay Shukla, said, "We received five bodies, one male aged 25 years and four females - three in their thirties and one aged 70 years... Four bodies have been handed over to their families..."

Sources at the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narain Hospital (LNJP) indicated that a majority of the victims who sustained injuries in the Saturday night stampede suffered lower limb injuries while others suffered from bone injuries.

A compensation of Rs 10 lakh was announced by the Indian Railways for the families of the deceased who lost their lives in the tragic incident.

Additionally, the Indian Railways announced a compensation of Rs 2.5 lakh for those seriously injured in the incident and Rs 1 lakh for those with minor injuries. (ANI)