What caused the stampede at New Delhi railway station that killed 18 people?

The stampede was triggered by conflicting announcements about a Kumbh special train's departure platform. Initially, passengers were informed at 8:45pm that the train would depart from platform 12, but soon after, another announcement stated it would leave from platform 16 instead. According to the Railway Protection Force (RPF) inquiry report, this confusion created chaos as passengers rushed between platforms, resulting in a deadly stampede situation. The report specifically flagged these lapses in communication as the critical factor that led to the tragic incident on January 15, which claimed 18 lives.