Delhi Stampede Triggers Outcry Over Confusion - News On Radar India
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Delhi Stampede Triggers Outcry Over Confusion

Railway Minister blames luggage fall, avoids term ‘stampede’; RPF cites incorrect announcement as cause of chaos at Anand Vihar…..

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Delhi In the aftermath of the tragic incident at Delhi’s Anand Vihar railway station, questions continue to swirl around the real cause of the chaos that led to several injuries and widespread panic. While the Railway Protection Force (RPF) initially cited a wrong announcement as the cause, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has offered a different explanation, one that notably avoids using the word “stampede.”

Speaking to the media, the minister explained that the accident occurred due to some luggage falling from a passenger’s hand, leading to a sudden push and commotion. “A bag slipped from someone’s hand. This caused a stir among nearby passengers, leading to people slipping and falling,” Vaishnaw said. He refrained from calling it a “stampede,” despite the visuals from the scene clearly showing a rush of people in distress.

The incident took place at a time when the station was overcrowded with passengers, many of whom were returning home for the festive weekend. The situation escalated quickly after a loudspeaker announcement incorrectly mentioned the platform for a train, causing a large crowd to move toward another platform in haste.

Videos from the scene show a massive surge of passengers trying to make their way down a foot overbridge, with some falling and getting trampled in the rush. Eyewitnesses describe the moment as chaotic, with people shouting, children crying, and elderly passengers struggling to stand upright in the dense crowd.

RPF sources later clarified that a miscommunication by station authorities led to the initial panic. According to an internal inquiry, the announcement mentioned the wrong platform number for a long-distance train, prompting hundreds of passengers to change directions abruptly. The mistake was corrected within minutes, but the damage had already been done.

Though there were no confirmed fatalities, several passengers suffered injuries and were taken to nearby hospitals. The incident has ignited a debate over crowd management at major railway stations and the need for clearer communication and infrastructure planning.

Opposition leaders and citizens alike have criticized the government’s response and demanded accountability. Social media platforms were flooded with videos, photos, and personal accounts from those affected, many of whom questioned the minister’s version of events.

This isn’t the first time Indian railway stations have witnessed such chaos. Experts believe that over-reliance on manual announcements, poor infrastructure, and a lack of trained personnel during peak hours contribute to such incidents. As public trust wavers, many await a transparent report and effective measures to ensure safety at public transportation hubs, especially during the festival and holiday seasons when passenger traffic spikes dramatically.

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