Overview

• The Railway Ministry in Parliament said a passenger’s big headload fell on the stairs of Foot Over Bridge-3 at New Delhi station, overturning the original stampede narrative.
• The incident at 8.48 pm on February 15 killed 18 and injured 15 as a surge of Maha Kumbh Mela pilgrims increased passenger density.
• Ashwini Vaishnaw told lawmakers that crowd management protocols were in place when the fall triggered a crush limited to the staircase.
• Families of the deceased received Rs 10 lakh each and injured passengers were paid up to Rs 2.5 lakh, totaling Rs 2.01 crore in ex-gratia relief.
• New measures include permanent holding zones, access controls for ticketed travellers at 73 stations, wider foot overbridges, CCTV cameras and operational war rooms at major hubs.