'Far more people than I have ever seen'

The incident highlights the need for better crowd control, planning, and facilities to manage large passenger volumes, said several commuters.

Local staff and witnesses said such crowds had not been seen at the New Delhi station since 1981. Many noted that rail authorities should have anticipated the surge based on increased ticket sales and implemented better crowd management.

Eyewitnesses claimed that the incident occurred when the people on the overbridge started running towards the platform when a train was arriving at the station. The rush of people was so large that the people who had even confirmed tickets were unable to board the trains.

One of the victims told reporters that his mother had died in the stampede. He said, "We were travelling to our home in Chhapra, Bihar, in a group, but my mother died in the chaos. People were pushing each other."

Another family member of a deceased, a woman, collapsed in grief.

According to a rough estimate,over 50,000 people had reached the New Delhi railway station to go to Prayagraj for Mahakumbh.

"I wanted to go to Prayagraj and I had confirmed a seat but the moment I reached platform no 16 there was utter chaos following which I ran back out of the station," a commuter named Ashok Kumar said.

Multiple videos emerged showing a massive crowd of passengers rushing through the railway station. Many were seen carrying children on their shoulders, while others struggled with their luggage amidst the chaos.

Another passenger, Dharmendra Singh, said, "I was going to Prayagraj but many trains were running late or were cancelled. The station was overcrowded. There were far more people than I have ever seen at this station. In front of me, six or seven women were taken away on stretchers."

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