With the death toll in the overnight stampede at the New Delhi Railway Station climbing to 18 on Sunday, porters recounted their harrowing experience of carrying bodies on handcarts amid the chaos.
The 2026 edition of the Indian Premier League is likely to begin on March 26
Here is a list of some of such major tragedies that have taken place in the country in recent years.
As many as 11 people died and 33 injured following a stampede near the Chinnaswamy Cricket Stadium in Bengaluru, where a large number of people had thronged to participate in the RCB team's IPL victory celebrations on Wednesday.
'While my wife and others were trying to obtain Vaikunta Dwara Darshan tickets, a stampede occurred, resulting in her death'
Opposition parties in India have demanded the resignation of Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw after a stampede at New Delhi railway station killed 18 people. They blamed the government for "gross mismanagement" and accused them of "covering up" the death toll. The stampede occurred on Saturday night as passengers rushed to board trains for the Maha Kumbh festival in Prayagraj. The Congress, the Left, Trinamool Congress, and the Rashtriya Janata Dal have all criticized the government's handling of the situation, while BJP leaders have defended the government. The incident has highlighted the failure of the Railways and the government to make adequate arrangements for the large number of devotees travelling to Prayagraj.
Families of those missing in the stampede at New Delhi Railway Station are frantically searching for their loved ones, running from one hospital to another, carrying their photos. Many said the hospitals did not allow them to search for their missing family members among the patients admitted there, turning their hopes into despair. The stampede on Saturday evening killed 18 people, according to officials. The injured were admitted to the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narain Hospital (LNJP) and the Lady Hardinge Medical College and Hospital in Central Delhi.
Reports said seven persons were killed, but there was no confirmation of the same.
Indian Railways has announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh each for the next of kin of those killed in the stampede at New Delhi Railway Station. Those seriously injured will receive Rs 2.5 lakh, and those with minor injuries will receive Rs 1 lakh. The stampede occurred late Saturday night, resulting in at least 18 fatalities and more than a dozen injuries. The incident was triggered by a surge in passengers waiting to board trains for Prayagraj, where the Maha Kumbh is taking place, on platforms 14 and 15 of the station.
The Amrit snan was originally scheduled in the early hours of the day but was postponed following the stampede.
The Justice Cunha Commission which was constituted to investigate the June 4 stampede, had reportedly concluded in its report that the "design and structure" of the stadium were "unsuitable and unsafe" for mass gatherings
Terming as 'unfortunate' the January 29 stampede at Maha Kumbh where at least 30 people were killed, the Supreme Court on Monday refused to hear a public interest litigation (PIL) for guidelines over safety of devotees and asked the petitioner to move the Allahabad high court instead.
Actor-politician Vijay met the families of the Karur stampede victims in Mahabalipuram, assuring them of monetary and educational support.
Delhi Police on Sunday launched an investigation into the stampede at the New Delhi Railway Station, saying it will analyse CCTV footage to determine the sequence of events before the chaos erupted.
Venkatesh Prasad described the meeting with the two leaders as "extremely positive", saying the aim is to bring back international cricket and IPL to the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
The court, after taking suo motu cognisance of the matter, issued notice to the state, and tasked it to file a detailed status report by June 10.
Bengaluru Police Commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh said that permission has been denied to hold the Vijay Hazare Trophy match at Bengaluru's Chinnaswamy Stadium on December 24.
Chief Public Relations Officer of Northern Railway, Himanshu Shekhar Upadhyay on Sunday said that a passenger coming towards platforms 14-15 slipped and fell on the stairs, and many passengers standing behind him were hit, leading to the stampede at New Delhi Railway Station.
Prasad now will have the onerous task of bringing top-flight cricket back to the state, which got sidelined after the stampede near the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on June 4 in which 11 Royal Challengers Bengaluru fans were killed.
A survivor recounts the chaotic scene at a Goa nightclub fire that resulted in 25 deaths, citing fireworks and a stampede as contributing factors.
The legendary Kapil Dev on Thursday expressed his anguish at the death of 11 fans during Royal Challengers Bengaluru's IPL victory celebrations, saying "lives are more important than celebration" and advised everyone to take proper precautions in future.
A deadly stampede at New Delhi Railway Station occurred on Saturday evening as passengers confused two trains with similar names, "Prayagraj Express" and "Prayagraj Special," and rushed to change platforms after an announcement. The confusion led to a surge of people on the stairs, resulting in the tragic deaths of 18 people. The Railway Ministry stated that the arrival of the "Prayagraj Special" at platform 12 caused panic among those waiting for the "Prayagraj Express" at platform 14, leading to the stampede. An unprecedented rush of passengers due to the Maha Kumbh and the delay of multiple trains heading to Prayagraj contributed to the chaos. The incident highlighted the dangers of inadequate crowd management during peak travel periods.
A day after six persons died in the Tirupati stampede, the Andhra Pradesh government on Thursday announced a judicial inquiry into the incident that seems to have been the result of a policeman's innocuous act of opening the gate with the intention of aiding a sick woman.
The Supreme Court of India dismissed a plea seeking directions on crowd management at the New Delhi railway station, following a stampede that resulted in the deaths of at least 18 people. The court questioned the claim of 200 deaths and suggested the petitioner approach the Delhi High Court.
Sources at the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narain Hospital indicated that a majority of the victims who sustained injuries in Saturday night stampede suffered lower limb injuries while others suffered from bone injuries.
A man from Tamil Nadu was detained for attempting to enter a rally led by actor Vijay in Puducherry with a handgun. Police are investigating the incident.
The Indian Railway Ministry has requested Twitter (X) to remove disturbing images and videos related to the February 15 stampede at New Delhi Railway Station, citing concerns about the dignity of the deceased and the trauma experienced by survivors and their families. The request followed complaints from relatives of those affected by the stampede, which claimed 18 lives and injured several others.
The death toll in the overnight stampede at the New Delhi Railway Station climbed to 18 on Sunday, with a senior railway official saying the incident occurred after some passengers slipped and fell on others while coming down from a footover bridge.
Protecting yourself in dense crowds and while facing a fire.
Unverified images also showed fans scrambling over the walls of the stadium.
The Karnataka State Cricket Association has failed to comply with the safety and security requirements at M Chinnaswamy stadium, said Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara.
The 'Amrit Snan' by saints and seers of all 13 akharas on Mauni Amavasya, which was deferred after a stampede at the Maha Kumbh, concluded at the Sangam on Wednesday evening, officials said.
"For five minutes we thought all of us were dead. I have been coming to the temple for the past 25 years and it has never happened like this," D Venkata Lakshmi said, recounting the horrific Tirupati stampede that killed six persons and left over 40 injured.
The status report claims that RCB organised a massive victory parade and celebration without prior permission or furnishing mandatory details to city authorities.
The Congress on Wednesday criticized the Centre and the Uttar Pradesh government for a stampede at the Sangam during the Maha Kumbh, blaming mismanagement and a focus on VIP movement instead of common devotees for the tragic incident. Rahul Gandhi called for reining in "VIP culture" and improving arrangements for devotees. Congress leaders expressed condolences to the families of the deceased and demanded action to prevent such incidents in the future.
A visual journey through some major events of 2025, from the spiritual grandeur of Mahakumbh Mela in Prayagraj to the strategic success of Operation Sindoor, India's decisive military response following the Pahalgam terror attack.
Opposition parties in the Indian Parliament walked out of the Rajya Sabha after their demand for an immediate discussion on the alleged mismanagement at the Maha Kumbh, where a stampede led to several deaths, was rejected. The Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, Jagdeep Dhankhar, declined to suspend the scheduled business of the day to take up the issue, citing his previous rulings regarding notices under Rule 267.
TVK cadres are worried, the leadership looks weak, and the party is not fully prepared for the 2026 elections, observes N Sathiya Moorthy.
Four devotees, including three women, died and several more were injured in a stampede at the Lord Venkateswara Swamy temple in Tirupati on Wednesday night. Hundreds of devotees had turned up for the 10-day Vaikunta Dwara Darshanam, which begins on January 10.
'The biggest mistake was that he fled Karur after the stampede.'
