Datanomics: Recent stampedes highlight need for better crowd management

It is ironic that the latest accident was caused by a stampede triggered by a rush of devotees trying to board special trains meant to facilitate pilgrim travel to the Mahakumbh

Official records show that 48 people died in two incidents of stampede in a span of just one-and-a-half month in the new year. Both the accidents related to Maha Kumbh, though places of their occurrence were different — Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh, and New Delhi.  

The other two major incidents of stampede in recent years also related to religious congregations — at least 100 people died at a prayer meeting in Hathras in Uttar Pradesh in 2024, and 36 people were killed when a slab on top of a well collapsed during a religious event at a temple in Indore city a year before. 

These accidents clearly highlight the need to manage crowds of devotees during religious gatherings, more so in mega events such as Maha Kumbh. 

Meanwhile, over the years, the Railways has been spending around one-fifth of its total expenditure on safety-related works. The percentage is projected to increase to 21 during the current financial year (FY25) against 19.7 per cent in FY24. It is pegged at 20.6 per cent for FY26. However, such cases are not categorised as Railway accidents even as the ministry has announced compe­nsation to those killed and injured. 

The number of stampede cases has come down from 557 in 2013 to six in 2022, and deaths caused by them from 400 to 22 over the 10-year period. These represented a minuscule percentage of total accidents or even those driven by unnatural causes, such as road accidents, train mishaps, air crashes, drowning, etc. even at its peak in 2013, such accidents accounted for just 0.09 per cent of total accidents caused by unnatural forces.