A high-level committee has gave its report on the investigation of February 15 New Delhi stampede
A heavy piece of luggage falling from a passenger’s head caused the stampede
Indian Railways announced long-term crowd control plans
A high-level inquiry committee investigating the February 15 tragedy at New Delhi Railway Station has revealed that a heavy piece of luggage falling from a passenger’s head triggered the chain of events that led to the death of 18 people and injuries to 15 others. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw shared the committee’s findings in response to a written question by Samajwadi Party MP Ramji Lal Suman in the Rajya Sabha on Friday, calling the incident “unfortunate” and detailing both the cause and corrective measures taken since.
The stampede occurred around 8:48 pm on Foot Over Bridge-3 (FOB-3), connecting Platforms 14 and 15, during a period of extremely high passenger congestion. According to the report, the day saw around 49,000 general tickets sold at the station—13,000 more than the daily average—as thousands of pilgrims were travelling to Prayagraj for the Maha Kumbh festival.
Many passengers were carrying large headloads, obstructing free movement on the 25-foot-wide bridge. A heavy baggage piece suddenly slipped from one passenger’s head, causing panic and resulting in passengers tripping on the stairs. The pressure from the crowd surge caused people to fall on each other, leading to multiple fatalities due to traumatic asphyxia- the state of being unable to breathe, the post-mortem report confirmed.
The committee noted that crowd management protocols were in place on February 15, and there was a gradual build-up of passengers on the FOB from 8:15 pm onwards. However, the combination of excessive luggage, narrow space, and sudden panic created a dangerous situation that quickly escalated into a stampede.
Earlier reports indicated that unreserved ticket sales peaked at 1,500 per hour that evening, with 7,600 tickets sold in just a few hours, overwhelming available infrastructure.
The government has given compensation of ₹10 lakh each to the next of kin of the deceased, ₹2.5 lakh to those seriously injured, and ₹1 lakh to those with minor injuries. A total of ₹2.01 crore has been disbursed to 33 victims and their families, Vaishnaw informed Parliament.
In response to the inquiry findings, Indian Railways has announced a series of long-term crowd control measures aimed at preventing similar tragedies in the future across 73 high-traffic stations. These include the creation of permanent holding areas outside stations, where passengers without confirmed tickets or those on waiting lists will be required to wait until train arrivals to avoid platform congestion.
Access control measures will ensure that only passengers with confirmed tickets are allowed direct entry to platforms, with unauthorised entry points being sealed. Infrastructure upgrades are also planned, with wider foot overbridges—12 metres and 6 metres in width—equipped with ramps to replace older, narrower bridges, improving passenger flow during peak hours.
Additionally, advanced surveillance systems, including CCTV cameras, public announcement systems, walkie-talkies, and dedicated war rooms, will be deployed to enable real-time crowd monitoring and management. To strengthen on-ground decision-making during emergencies, senior officers will be appointed as station directors with financial and operational authority, ensuring swift and coordinated responses to high-density situations.
Pilot projects for these measures have already been initiated in New Delhi, Anand Vihar, Varanasi, Ayodhya, and Ghaziabad railway stations. The has sparked calls for stronger safety standards and infrastructure planning to handle sudden surges in passenger numbers during major events like the Maha Kumbh. [Rh/Eth/VP]