Crowd management is a well-researched science. Between 1980 and 2022, at least 13,700 people were killed in stampedes globally, many of which started with a person falling. Qutub Minar stampede of Dec 1981 is a case in point. Someone slipped in the dark, but 45 people died because the Minar’s exit was blocked. The fall didn’t kill anyone – people were crushed by the weight of those behind them. At Mumbai’s Elphinstone Road station in Sep 2017, crowd pressure had built up, but the crowd ‘collapsed’, leading to 23 deaths, after a woman slipped. So the sensible thing is to avoid an unmanageable build-up because the force of people pressing each other in a crowd can easily touch 450kg – enough to break a wall or bend a steel railing. A force of about 600kg – getting buried under 7-8 persons – can kill in 15 seconds without visible signs of trauma.
A stampede at New Delhi railway station on Saturday night because of an unprecedented number of passengers headed for Maha Kumbh is learned to have claimed at least 18 lives, including three children.
Many people were injured in the ensuing panic and mad scramble to either board the trains or rush out of the station.
Read MoreEyewitnesses at the New Delhi Railway Station recounted the horrific situations that led to the deadly stampede killing at least 18 and injuring several on Saturday night. The incident occurred when a large crowd gathered at platforms 14 and 15, awaiting trains bound for Prayagraj, where the Maha Kumbh is ongoing.
Read moreThe crowd was beyond the limit, people were gathered at the (foot over) bridge... Such a huge crowd wasn't expected. I have never seen such a massive crowd at the railway station, even during the festivals. People from the administration and even NDRF personnel were there, but when the crowd exceeded the limit, it wasn't possible to control them.