Passenger belongings lie at India railway station as stampede kills 18

At least 18 people were killed in a stampede at a railway station in India’s capital of New Delhi, the Press Trust of India news agency reported Sunday, 16 February.

Many of the victims were Hindu pilgrims who were travelling to the Maha Kumbh festival in Prayagraj in northern India, according to Delhi’s acting chief minister, Atishi.

The stampede happened late Saturday while thousands of people were gathered at the New Delhi railway station waiting to board a train.

The incident occurred after some passengers slipped and fell on others while coming down from a footbridge that connects train platforms, authorities said.

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that an investigation has been ordered to find what led to the stampede.

At least 30 people were killed in a stampede at the six-week festival last month after tens of millions of Hindus gathered to take a dip in sacred river waters.