A probe into the stampede at New Delhi Railway Station, which resulted in the deaths of at least 18 people on Saturday night, has highlighted overcrowding triggered by a sudden rush of passengers and an announcement about a special train for Maha Kumbh pilgrims as the main causes of the tragedy.

According to the findings, reviewed by Aaj Tak, a partner channel of India Today, railway officials were issuing around 1,500 general-class tickets every hour for Prayagraj, leading to a heavy buildup of passengers.

On the night of the incident, platform 14 was packed with travelers waiting to board a train bound for Prayagraj. Simultaneously, a separate group of passengers had assembled on neighboring platform 13 to catch the Swatantrata Senani Express, which operates between New Delhi and Darbhanga. However, the departure of this train was delayed and rescheduled for midnight, causing passengers to remain on the platform for an extended period.

As ticket sales continued, the crowd on platform 14 swelled further, resulting in severe congestion with barely any room for people to move, the report revealed.

By approximately 10 pm, railway officials, observing the growing number of passengers, made an announcement about a special train to Prayagraj from platform 16. Hearing this, many passengers holding general tickets, who had been waiting on platform 14, hurried towards platform 16, using the foot overbridge to make their way across.

During the rush, some individuals sitting on the overbridge were overrun, leading to the deadly stampede.

Although additional railway police units were dispatched to manage the crowd, the personnel were overwhelmed and unable to bring the situation under control.