Lessons from a stampede

A stampede at the New Delhi railway station led to 18 deaths and injured many on the night of February 15 as pilgrims rushed to board trains to Prayagraj, where the Maha Kumbh Mela is underway, and beyond.

While an official inquiry is underway, several factors appear to have led to the crush.

One, at least 2,600 extra tickets were sold in the two hours before the stampede which led to overcrowding. Second, a Scroll analysis found that at least 15 trains, including some headed towards Prayagraj, were delayed in the two-hour window before the stampede, intensifying the crowding at the station and its platforms.

Finally, station officials announced a special train to Prayagraj for pilgrims and then suddenly changed the platform from where it would depart, leading to a panicked rush.

Could such a stampede have been avoided? What could the railways do better?

We put the questions to Sarabjit Singh, a former general manager of Indian railways’ Central Organisation for Modernisation Workshops from 2000 to 2003 and a member of the Central Administrative Tribunal. He has worked with the railways for 37 years, mainly in the northern and south eastern zone. Here is what he had to say:

The Delhi High Court has questioned why the railway authorities sold 2,600 extra general class tickets in the...

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