Patna, Feb 16 (PTI) Eyewitnesses of the New Delhi railway station stampede said on Sunday that people were pushing and scrambling for space amid cries for help.

At least 18 people were killed and more than a dozen injured in the stampede that took place late on Saturday night at the crowded railway station.

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Eyewitness aboard Magadh Express, which arrived from New Delhi to Patna, recalled the horror.

Speaking to PTI Video, passenger Prabhash Kumar Raman said, "Massive crowd at the platform led to a chaos, ultimately resulting in the tragic stampede. There was no cooperation from the administration. There was not even a single policeman when the incident took place. People were pushing and scrambling for space amid cries for help."

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Staircases on platforms 14 and 15 were blocked, which worsened the situation at New Delhi railway station, another passenger, Hashibur Rehman, claimed.

"Initially, some staircases of platforms were closed to manage the crowd. However, due to delays, more passengers were attempting to take the staircases. At the last moment, the closed staircases were opened, which caused congestion and the crowd swelled," he said.

"People were pushing one another to get on the train or to take the staircase. I saw at least 10-12 bodies lying on the platform... it was horrific," he said.

The crowd was unlike anything seen before, he said.

"I must say that there was nobody from the side of the local administration who was present at the spot... officials arrived almost after an hour after the incident," Rehman claimed.

Meanwhile, even after the stampede at New Delhi railway station on Saturday, several stations across Bihar, including Patna, witnessed huge crowds trying to Prayagraj-bound trains for Maha Kumbh Mela.

On crowd management, Danapur RPF senior commandant Prakash Kumar Panda told reporters, "Adequate arrangements are in place at Patna railway station amid heavy rush. We have deployed additional staffers here. If unreserved passengers overcrowd any coach, we will take action and deboard them."

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)