"It's a very sad situation": Congress MP Tharoor on New Delhi railway station stampede

Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], February 16 (ANI): Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Sunday expressed sadness over the stampede at the New Delhi railway station that killed 18 people. He called for stringent measures to prevent such incidents in the future.
"It's a very sad situation. These are the kinds of human losses for which there is absolutely no compensation," Tharoor told ANI.
"We have seen an unknown number of deaths in the Kumbh Mela itself... Whenever we have an uncontrolled number of crowds, it seems that we are inviting such kinds of incidents. More stringent measures need to be taken because safeguarding human life should be the number one priority," he added.
The incident happened around 10 pm when thousands of devotees were heading to Prayagraj for the Maha Kumbh 2025 festival, 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.
Poonam Devi, a relative of one of the deceased in the stampede, claimed that a 'sudden announcement' of change in platform, led to chaos at the railway station.
Speaking about the incident, she said, "There was suddenly an announcement that the train will be coming on platform 14. People started running, and there was a stampede."
"I got information that the bodies have been kept here so I have come here to collect the body of my relative... We were going to Chhapra, Bihar... I have no idea about my train ticket, and neither do I know which train I was supposed to board," she added.
Meanwhile, President Droupadi Murmu expressed deep anguish over the loss of lives.
She extended her heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for the speedy recovery of those injured.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday expressed his distress over the stampede at New Delhi Railway Station, offering condolences to the families who lost loved ones and wishing a speedy recovery to the injured.
He assured that authorities are providing assistance to those affected by the incident.
The Indian Railways also announced that a compensation of Rs 10 lakh by the Indian Railways was announced to the families of the deceased who lost their lives in the stampede at the New Delhi Railway Station.
Additionally, compensation of Rs 2.5 lakh has been announced for the seriously injured and Rs 1 lakh for those with minor injuries. (ANI)