Kumbh Special Train

What caused the deadly stampede at New Delhi railway station on January 15?

According to the Railway Protection Force (RPF) inquiry report, the stampede was triggered by conflicting platform announcements for a Kumbh special train to Prayagraj. Initially, passengers were informed around 8:45pm that the train would depart from platform number 12, but shortly afterward, another announcement stated the train would leave from platform number 16 instead. This sudden platform change created chaos as crowds attempted to navigate the narrow foot over bridges between platforms, resulting in people falling and being trampled. The report contradicts Indian Railways' earlier claim that no platform change announcements were made, highlighting serious communication failures that directly led to the tragedy which claimed 18 lives.