Vijay Saha, Krishna Devi, and their 11-year-old granddaughter Suruchi had been eagerly waiting at the New Delhi Railway Station on Saturday night, set to embark on a journey to Prayagraj for the Maha Kumbh Mela. However, before they could board their train, chaos erupted, triggering a massive stampede that claimed 18 lives—including theirs.
Their devastated son has now left Delhi for Bihar’s Samastipur, carrying their bodies home. The tragedy has left the family shattered, with grief rippling through their village as news of their deaths spread.
“Mummy and Papa told us they would be going to Kumbh to take a snan after resting briefly in Delhi. My brother and I had planned to join them in Prayagraj,” recalled Vijay Saha’s daughter, Kajal. But fate had other plans.
A call from her elder brother at around 1 am raised her suspicions—he asked for their parents’ Aadhaar cards but didn’t reveal the truth about their passing. It was only in the morning when their son-in-law, Manoj Kumar Sah, arrived in the village that the tragic news was finally delivered.
Sunaina Devi, little Suruchi’s paternal grandmother, recalled how she had spoken to her daughter-in-law in Delhi, inquiring if her granddaughter had left for Prayagraj. Instead of reassurance, she was met with a heart-wrenching scream. “Nothing could have prepared me for that deafening cry on Saturday night. The call disconnected abruptly, leaving me fearing the worst,” she said, her voice heavy with sorrow.
Suruchi’s uncle, Pramod Kumar, shared that family members had traveled to Delhi 4-5 days prior. "From there, they were heading to Kumbh. They died in the stampede at the station. We learned about it at 1 am," he said, still struggling to process the loss.
The stampede, which unfolded on platforms 14 and 15 of the New Delhi Railway Station, was a result of sheer panic and overcrowding. According to senior officials, the tragedy began when some passengers lost their footing on the footover bridge, causing a cascading fall in the middle of a sudden rush. More than a dozen people sustained injuries, some critically.
In response to the devastating incident, the government has ordered a high-level probe and announced compensation for the victims' families. Those who lost their loved ones will receive an ex-gratia amount of Rs 10 lakh. Additionally, Rs 2.5 lakh has been allocated for the seriously injured, while others with minor injuries will receive Rs 1 lakh each.
As the investigation unfolds, the railway station, which once echoed with the excitement of journeys and reunions, now stands as a grim reminder of a night when dreams of a sacred pilgrimage turned into an unspeakable tragedy.
