New Delhi:
An investigation into the lethal stampede at New Delhi railway station on Saturday, which killed 18 – together with 5 youngsters – has revealed {that a} senior Railway Police Power (RPF) official had requested the station supervisor to not challenge any extra tickets after he sensed that the group had grow to be too giant and an uncontrollable scenario might come up, however hundreds had been already on the platforms by then, sources have informed NDTV.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has, nonetheless, mentioned that there was no extraordinary rush on the station.
Sources mentioned an RPF investigation report into the incident discovered that 4 trains to Prayagraj had been scheduled to go away the New Delhi railway station between 8.15 pm and 10.10 pm – a span of simply two hours – leading to a large crowd of Maha Kumbh devotees descending on the platforms. Stories had mentioned that, on common, almost 1,500 basic tickets had been bought on the station each hour and plenty of extra had been bought on-line.
The RPF report mentioned that the Shiv Ganga Specific, between New Delhi and Varanasi through Prayagraj, was scheduled to depart from platform quantity 12 at 8.15 pm, the Magadh Specific to West Bengal’s Islampur through Prayagraj from platform quantity 14 at 9 pm and the Prayagraj Specific from the identical platform at 10.10 pm. By the point the Shiv Ganga Specific left, hundreds of passengers couldn’t make it on the crowded prepare and that is after they discovered {that a} particular prepare would depart for Prayagraj from platform 16.
This sparked a frenzy and, the report mentioned, the massive mass of individuals started attempting to make its approach from platform 12 to 16 to board the particular prepare utilizing foot overbridges two and three. Along with the same old rush, a crowd of individuals was already heading for platform 14 for the 2 trains to Prayagraj and the overflow from platform 12 joined this throng. This, the report mentioned, led to the stampede.
The report mentions that when the group started to swell to some extent that the scenario gave the impression to be headed uncontrolled, the Assistant Safety Commissioner of the RPF requested the station supervisor to not challenge any extra tickets, however hundreds had been already on the platforms and foot overbridges by then. A name was additionally made for all on-duty and off-duty employees to achieve the platform and foot overbridges and the station director was requested to order the particular prepare to Prayagraj to go away as quickly because it was full.
It additionally notes a press release from one of many injured ladies that whereas the stampede started at 9.15 pm, the primary name to the hearth brigade was made 40 minutes later, at 9.55 pm.
Authorities’ Take
A spokesperson for the Railway Board mentioned extra info is being gathered.
“A committee has been shaped to research the matter by way of which info can be obtained from all of the officers and inspectors posted on the station, after which the committee will submit the report back to the zonal railway,” the spokesperson mentioned.
On Monday, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had dominated out any conspiracy behind the stampede on the New Delhi station and emphasised that there was no extraordinary rush both.
“No conspiracy appears in the meanwhile (sic),” the minister was quoted as saying by information company PTI.
Stating that the knowledge he had until then confirmed that there was no extraordinary rush on the New Delhi railway station, he additionally dismissed experiences of a platform change announcement as a explanation for the stampede. “The inquiry committee is trying into it deeply,” he mentioned.
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