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Lok Sabha
On November 13, 2004 Train No. 2388 Down Jan Sadharan Express scheduled to start at 1510 hrs. was placed at Platform No. 3 at 1100 hrs., and the doors were opened at 1210 hrs. There was heavy rush at New Delhi Railway Station due to Chhat Festival and Id towards Bihar. While crowd was descending to Platform No. 3 to board Jan Sadharan Express, suddenly a woman passenger, due to pressure of rush, slipped down on the landing in the middle of the staircase connecting Foot Over Bridge and Platform No. 2/3. Consequently, some more passengers panicked and a stampede started which resulted in stumbling of some more passengers.
Five ladies, including one 14 years old girl, unfortunately, succumbed to their injuries. Of the remaining 10 injured, 02 who were having convulsions were shifted to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital. All the others were provided proper treatment at Northern Railway Central Hospital. One doctor was specially deputed at Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital to look after the injured and all the medicines were made available for the injured admitted in Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital.
Ex-gratia payments of Rs. 1 lakh for the dead, Rs. 15,000 for grievously injured and Rs. 5000 for simple injured were given and disbursed promptly.
A fact-finding enquiry was ordered by the General Manager/Northern Railway by a committee consisting of Chief Traffic Manager, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime and Railways), Additional Chief Security Commissioner/Railway Protection Force and Additional Divisional Railway Manager (Operations), Delhi Division.
The enquiry by the above committee revealed that the incident could only be taken as an unfortunate isolated incident and there was no lapse on anybody’s part which would have caused the lady passenger to fall. Therefore, the committee held no one responsible for the incident.
Unreserved tickets are not issued for any specific train. The unreserved tickets are issued only for a particular destination in the second class and are valid for originating journeys on the date mentioned on the ticket. The issue of unreserved tickets cannot be linked to carrying capacity of a specific train.
Following steps are proposed to avert such incidents of over crowding and stampede:
Decongestion of manor stations by originating/terminating holiday special trains from alternative stations.
Installing comprehensive Closed Circuit Television System (CCTV).
Development of additional terminals in Delhi area.
Construction of additional Foot Over Bridges (FOB) wherever feasible at New Delhi station.
Implementing plan of construction of new building on Ajmeri Gate side of New Delhi Station.
This information was given by the Minister of Railways Shri Lalu Prasad in reply to a question from S/Shri Raghuraj Singh Shakya and Bhal Chandra Yadav in the Lok Sabha today.
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