2025 New Delhi railway station crowd crush
The footbridge above platforms 14 and 15 of the New Delhi railway station, where the crowd crush took place | |
| Date | 15 February 2025 |
|---|---|
| Location | New Delhi railway station, New Delhi, India |
| Coordinates | 28°38′27.7″N 77°13′17.4″E / 28.641028°N 77.221500°E |
| Type | Crowd collapse and crush |
| Cause | Train delays leading to overcrowding |
| Deaths | 18 |
| Non-fatal injuries | 15 |
On February 15, 2025, a crowd crush killed at least 18 people and injured 15 others at the New Delhi railway station in New Delhi, India. The crush occurred after some passengers began to slip on a footbridge above platforms 14 and 15, causing a crushing pile of people to form in the already overcrowded station.
Leading up to the incident, between 400–500 million Hindu worshipers had been traveling to the religious festival Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj, northern India, a festival which takes place every three years in one of four cities in the country. Overbooking tickets, train delays, and confusion between similar-sounding rail lines all led to the hazardous and crowded conditions which caused the crush. The youngest victim was a 7-year-old girl, and the oldest a 79-year-old woman.
According to The Hindu, the railway and public officials attempted to silence information about the casualties of the crush. Lieutenant Governor of Delhi Vinai Kumar Saxena is reported to have edited a post he made about the incident on X to remove any mentions of the deaths. The information was eventually released, and a ₹1,000,000 ex gratia compensation fund was established for the families of the victims. A high-level investigation made up of a two-member committee was launched to determine the cause of the crush. New crowd control measures including special holding areas and operating manual updates were announced for sixty high-traffic stations following the incident.