As the crowd swelled and word about the stampede spread at the New Delhi Railway Station (NDLS), “coolies” (porters)—often overlooked as the backbone of the station—were among the first to respond, rushing to rescue unconscious passengers from the overcrowded platforms 14 and 15.
The stampede, triggered by an unprecedented rush of passengers boarding trains for Kumbh, saw people collapsing under pressure. With no time to wait for official aid, porters carried victims on their shoulders, crossed railway tracks, and used private vehicles to transport them to hospitals.
“There was an unprecedented crowd. Ever since Kumbh started, such a rush was never witnessed,” said Ram Avtar, 42, a porter from Bihar. “I remember carrying at least seven or eight people, including women and children. The staircase was jammed, so we had to cross tracks and a static train to get them out.”
Ram Kumar, 35, another porter, said he and his colleagues stopped private cabs and autos when ambulances were not available. “There was no time to wait. People had already been waiting for help for 30-40 minutes,” he said.
Similarly, Rajinder Kumar Meena, an 18-year veteran porter at NDLS, likened the chaos to the Chhath rush—but far worse. “Usually, the platforms are packed during Chhath, but this kind of crowd is not even seen during that festive period. People fell and got trapped. They were crying out for help, but no one could do anything. Once the crowd thinned, we pulled people from train bogies and loaded them onto carts used for goods,” Meena said.
Another porter, who witnessed the tragedy, Vikas Yogi, 22, said the rush intensified with the announcement of the Prayagraj train. “I never imagined carrying lifeless bodies on my shoulder. After their relatives tried to resuscitate them, we rushed the victims to the ambulances stationed in the parking lot. People were already terrified… If not us, who would have helped them?” he added.
Porter Pappu Ram Meena, 47, claimed official help arrived late after 10pm when several victims had already lost their lives. “We tried everything—rubbing hands, feet, getting water—but it felt too late,” he said. “If Kumbh is happening after 144 years and is being publicised, then the arrangements should have been much better.All trains heading in that direction see similar chaos during boarding,” Meena added.
Upendra Kumar, an auto driver on his night shift, told HT that he had to rush inside to rescue a passenger he had dropped earlier. “I have been here for 12 years but never saw such a crowd. People were running everywhere, even outside the station. Barely anyone from the police or railway authorities was present during the stampede,” he said, adding that at the time of the stampede hardly a few police and railway personnel were present at the spot.
(With inputs from Varun Bhandari)
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