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Time of India
a day ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Stampedes, war, plane crash, and floods: India's 2025 mid-year report paints a tragic picture
India faced a challenging six months. Stampedes at Kumbh Mela, New Delhi Railway Station, Bengaluru, and Puri caused many deaths. A terror attack occurred in Pahalgam. India and Pakistan had military confrontations. An Air India flight crashed in Ahmedabad. Floods and landslides affected northeastern India and Himachal Pradesh. These events resulted in numerous casualties, injuries, and displacement across the country. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Stampedes kill scores at religious and public events Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads India-Pakistan tensions Air India flight crash Floods and landslides India has witnessed one of the most difficult six-month periods in recent memory. A series of deadly stampedes, an aviation disaster, military confrontation with Pakistan, and widespread flooding have left hundreds dead and many more injured or displaced. As the country steps into the second half of 2025, it carries the weight of these crises while bracing for what may come next. Kumbh Stampede : The year began with a tragedy at one of India's largest religious gatherings. On January 29, a stampede during the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj killed 30 people and injured 60. The incident occurred around 2 am when large crowds were gathering at the Sangam. According to police, barricades placed at the ghats broke, causing people to step on devotees who were resting on the weeks later, on February 15, 18 people were killed and 15 injured in a stampede at New Delhi Railway Station. The victims, mostly pilgrims heading to Prayagraj, were caught in chaos on platforms 12, 13, and 14. Delhi Police attributed the panic to delays and confusion between the Prayagraj Express and the Prayagraj Special trains amid June 4, celebrations turned tragic in Bengaluru. After Royal Challengers Bengaluru won their first IPL title, massive crowds gathered near the Chinnaswamy Stadium. A stampede occurred, killing 11 people and injuring 33 as lakhs of fans crowded the than a month later, another stampede struck during the Rath Yatra in Puri on June 29. Three people died and more than 50 were injured. The incident raised new concerns about public safety at major events, especially after the Bengaluru April 22, 2025, five militants from The Resistance Front, an offshoot of Lashkar-e-Taiba, opened fire in the Baisaran meadows near Pahalgam tourist spot. They targeted 26 civilians, mostly Hindu tourists, and 20 others were injured. The attackers used AK-47s and M4 carbines, reportedly questioning victims' religion before executing them. One local Muslim pony operator was also killed as he tried to interveneIn May, relations between India and Pakistan reached a critical point. A terror attack in Pahalgam prompted India to launch airstrikes on May 7. The operation targeted nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. According to government sources, over 100 militants were responded by launching drones and missiles on Indian cities in Punjab and Rajasthan. The exchange escalated into a four-day conflict, resulting in casualties and infrastructure damage on both sides. A ceasefire was reached on May 11, but tensions continue to March 22, Air India flight AI 171 crashed minutes after takeoff from Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. The London-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner went down in a residential area, hitting two buildings. The crash killed all 242 passengers and crew on board. It marked India's worst aviation accident in over a monsoon rains caused widespread flooding in northeastern India starting in late May. According to Sphere India, at least 47 people died due to floods and landslides — 17 in Assam, 12 in Arunachal Pradesh, six each in Meghalaya and Mizoram, three in Sikkim, two in Tripura, and one in Assam alone, more than four lakh people across 15 districts were affected, as per the state's disaster management authority. In Manipur, flash floods displaced over 56,000 people due to overflowing rivers and breached from June 22 to 29, Himachal Pradesh saw flash floods that killed 17 people and caused heavy damage to roads and bridges. Early estimates by the state's Public Works Department placed the damage at Rs 300 crore. Northern states, including Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, continue to experience the impact of ongoing rains.
India Today
2 days ago
- India Today
Stampedes, plane crash, war, natural disasters: India's turbulent 2025 so far
As the halfway mark of 2025 passes, India finds itself grappling with one of the most tumultuous six-month periods in recent memory. A grim combination of deadly stampedes, a catastrophic plane crash, border tensions escalating to war-like situation, and a slew of natural disasters have tested the resilience of the world's most populous have claimed dozens of lives at sites of faith and celebration. A major plane crash stunned the aviation world. Floods ravaged the northeast, while border tensions briefly escalated into open packed pilgrimage sites and jubilant stadiums to the flood-stricken northeast and a volatile border with Pakistan, the nation has been rocked by tragedy, disruption, and uncertainty. With lives lost and infrastructure stretched thin, India now enters the second half of 2025 grappling with grief, questions of preparedness, and a cautious hope that calmer days lie KILLED IN STAMPEDES The year opened under a dark cloud. A stampede broke out at the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj on January 29, killing 30 people and leaving 60 others injured. The incident took place at around 2 am when tightly-packed crowds were gathering at the Sangam - the confluence of rivers Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati. According to police, barricades placed at the ghats broke, which led to people inadvertently stepping on devotees sleeping on the a month later, chaos erupted at New Delhi Railway Station on February 15, where a stampede on platforms 12, 13, and 14 killed 18 people and injured 15 others. The victims were mostly pilgrims headed to Prayagraj for the Maha Kumbh. According to Delhi Police, the panic stemmed from delays and confusion between the Prayagraj Express and Prayagraj Special, exacerbated by overcrowded June 4, jubilation turned into horror in Bengaluru when a massive crowd gathered near Chinnaswamy Stadium to celebrate Royal Challengers Bengaluru's first IPL title. A stampede broke out, killing 11 people and injuring 33. The tragedy unfolded as lakhs of fans flooded the streets in celebration. Crowd outside Bengaluru stadium on stampede day Barely three weeks later, tragedy struck again. On June 29, during the Rath Yatra procession in Puri, Odisha, a stampede left three dead and more than 50 injured. With the memory of the Bengaluru disaster still raw, the incident has reignited debates around event safety and public infrastructure ESCALATIONSTensions with Pakistan reached a boiling point in May following a devastating terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which killed 26 civilians. In response, India launched a series of precision airstrikes on May 7, targeting nine terror camps across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. According to government sources, over 100 militants were killed in the retaliated by launching drone and missile strikes on border cities in Punjab and Rajasthan, triggering a four-day conflict that brought the two nuclear-armed neighbors to the brink of war. Both sides suffered casualties, and infrastructure damage was decided to escalate and launched drones and missiles targetting border cities in India. India responded to the attack with equal aggression and the two countries witnessed a war-like situation for four days before finally agreeing to a ceasefire.A ceasefire was brokered on May 11, but relations remain INDIA CRASHOn March 22, India witnessed its worst aviation tragedy in over ten years. Air India flight AI 171 — a London-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner — crashed just five minutes after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad. The aircraft, carrying 242 passengers and crew, went down in a residential area, hitting two buildings. Air India plane crashed into a building near Ahmedabad airport advertisementNATURE'S WRATHEven as political and man-made crises unfolded, nature added to the nation's June began, northeastern India bore the brunt of unrelenting monsoon rains. Torrents that began in late May continued into June, causing widespread flooding and landslides across multiple states. According to Sphere India, at least 47 people were killed in weather-related incidents — 17 in Assam (including five in landslides in Guwahati), 12 in Arunachal Pradesh, six each in Meghalaya and Mizoram, three in Sikkim, two in Tripura, and one in Nagaland. Rescue personnel assist locals in moving to a safer place through a rescue boat at a flood-affected area amid rainfall, on the outskirts of Agartala The flooding affected more than four lakh people across 15 districts in Assam, according to the state's disaster management authority. In neighbouring Manipur, overflowing rivers and breached embankments triggered flash floods, displacing over 56,000 from June 22–29, heavy rainfall unleashed flash floods across Himachal Pradesh, resulting in 17 fatalities and massive infrastructural damage. Roads and bridges were swept away, and early estimates by the state's Public Works Department place the damage at Rs 300 floods still continue and north Indian states, including Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand continue to suffer. As India stands at the midpoint of a challenging year, it remains to be seen whether the months ahead will bring relief or further strain. With the monsoon season still unfolding and geopolitical tensions far from resolved, the country faces a period of uncertainty. For now, the nation watches — hopeful, but cautious — as 2025 continues to unfold.- Ends
Time of India
21-06-2025
- Time of India
Railway limits waiting list tickets bookings
Prayagraj: In a major step aimed at improving passenger convenience and curbing overcrowding in trains, the Indian Railways (IR) has decided to limit the issuance of waiting list (WL) tickets. As per the newly introduced system, only up to 25% of the total available berths in each coach category of a train will be allowed for waiting list bookings. This regulation will apply uniformly across all categories, including sleeper class, AC three tier, AC two tier, AC first class, chair car and executive chair car. For instance, in a train with 200 berths, only 50 waiting list tickets will now be issued, ensuring that overcrowding in reserved coaches is significantly reduced. According to the Railways, the primary aim of this change is to enhance the travel experience of passengers with confirmed tickets by preventing congestion in reserved compartments. So far, trains with high demand, such as the Prayagraj Express, Shramik Shakti Express, and Brahmaputra Mail, often have waiting lists exceeding 100 on regular days and even soaring past 400 during festivals. This leads to a situation where many passengers with unconfirmed tickets would board the trains, causing inconvenience to others and straining onboard services. Importantly, the cap will not apply to seats earmarked for specific categories such as senior citizens, women, differently-abled passengers (Divyangjans), and foreign tourists. These categories will continue to enjoy the current reservation flexibility. Senior PRO at North Central Railway (NCR), Amit Malviya, confirmed that the Railway Board issued official guidelines regarding the implementation of the new rule to all zonal railway divisions, including the North Central Railway. tnn
Time of India
04-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
When celebration turns to chaos: A grim pattern of stampede tragedies in India
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel On what should have been a jubilant day for Bengaluru, the atmosphere outside the iconic Chinnaswamy Stadium turned harrowing. A celebration of Royal Challengers Bengaluru's first Indian Premier League (IPL) title quickly spiraled into a nightmare. As the victorious team arrived in a bus on Wednesday evening, thousands of fans had gathered, waving team flags and chanting in euphoria. But the joy was short-lived — at least seven people were killed in a stampede that followed, as per TV visuals were chilling. A police officer was seen carrying a limp body to an ambulance. Another victim lay unconscious on the road as bystanders scrambled to help. A moment meant to honour sporting glory ended in trauma and loss, with many pointing to crowd mismanagement and a lack of preparedness for such a massive this is not an isolated three months ago, on February 15, New Delhi Railway Station witnessed a similar descent into chaos. Around 10 pm, platforms 13 and 14 were packed with more than 1,500 general ticket holders trying to board trains like the Prayagraj Express and Bhubaneswar Rajdhani. Overwhelming congestion, fainting spells, and panic led to a stampede-like situation that claimed 18 reports labelled it a stampede. The Railways later claimed it was 'only overcrowding.' But for families who lost loved ones in the crush of humanity, the terminology is cold comfort. Investigations pointed to a surge linked to the upcoming Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj — a pilgrimage known to draw tens of millions — but failed to explain how basic crowd management failed at one of India's busiest when it comes to the Maha Kumbh, tragedy has been a recurring visitor. In January 2025, during the Mauni Amavasya holy dip at the Sangam, a broken barricade on the overcrowded Akhara route triggered a deadly stampede. In the early hours between 1 and 2 AM, panic spread like wildfire. By the time order was restored, 30 were dead and over 60 injured. Despite advisories and emergency preparations, the weight of expectations—and people—proved too much once July 2024, an even graver disaster unfolded in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras district. After a religious gathering addressed by preacher Saakar Vishwa Hari Bhole Baba, at least 116 people — mostly women and children — were crushed to death in a stampede. Survivors recounted a terrifying mix of poor infrastructure, blocked exits, and absolute pandemonium as the crowd surged, some seeking blessings, others simply trying to January 2022, at least 12 people died in a stampede at the Vaishno Devi shrine in Jammu and Kashmir after a huge crowd tried to enter the narrow shrine in October 2013, around 115 devotees were killed and over a hundred injured at the Ratangarh temple in Madhya Pradesh during Navratri celebrations, when more than 150,000 people converged on the February 2013, 36 pilgrims, mostly women, died in a stampede on the busiest day of the Kumbh Mela in Uttar Pradesh. The chaos began at the Allahabad railway station amid massive list goes these incidents, a pattern emerges: inadequate planning, lack of exit routes, broken barricades, absent or ineffective crowd control, and above all, a failure to respect the scale of public emotion that drives thousands — sometimes lakhs — to it's a cricket celebration, a railway rush, or a religious ritual, India continues to grapple with a grim truth — joy and devotion can turn deadly in the absence of foresight. Each tragedy leaves behind grieving families, unanswered questions, and a promise from authorities to investigate and improve.
Economic Times
04-06-2025
- Politics
- Economic Times
When celebration turns to chaos: A grim pattern of stampede tragedies in India
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel On what should have been a jubilant day for Bengaluru, the atmosphere outside the iconic Chinnaswamy Stadium turned harrowing. A celebration of Royal Challengers Bengaluru's first Indian Premier League (IPL) title quickly spiraled into a nightmare. As the victorious team arrived in a bus on Wednesday evening, thousands of fans had gathered, waving team flags and chanting in euphoria. But the joy was short-lived — at least seven people were killed in a stampede that followed, as per TV visuals were chilling. A police officer was seen carrying a limp body to an ambulance. Another victim lay unconscious on the road as bystanders scrambled to help. A moment meant to honour sporting glory ended in trauma and loss, with many pointing to crowd mismanagement and a lack of preparedness for such a massive this is not an isolated three months ago, on February 15, New Delhi Railway Station witnessed a similar descent into chaos. Around 10 pm, platforms 13 and 14 were packed with more than 1,500 general ticket holders trying to board trains like the Prayagraj Express and Bhubaneswar Rajdhani. Overwhelming congestion, fainting spells, and panic led to a stampede-like situation that claimed 18 reports labelled it a stampede. The Railways later claimed it was 'only overcrowding.' But for families who lost loved ones in the crush of humanity, the terminology is cold comfort. Investigations pointed to a surge linked to the upcoming Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj — a pilgrimage known to draw tens of millions — but failed to explain how basic crowd management failed at one of India's busiest when it comes to the Maha Kumbh, tragedy has been a recurring visitor. In January 2025, during the Mauni Amavasya holy dip at the Sangam, a broken barricade on the overcrowded Akhara route triggered a deadly stampede. In the early hours between 1 and 2 AM, panic spread like wildfire. By the time order was restored, 30 were dead and over 60 injured. Despite advisories and emergency preparations, the weight of expectations—and people—proved too much once July 2024, an even graver disaster unfolded in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras district. After a religious gathering addressed by preacher Saakar Vishwa Hari Bhole Baba, at least 116 people — mostly women and children — were crushed to death in a stampede. Survivors recounted a terrifying mix of poor infrastructure, blocked exits, and absolute pandemonium as the crowd surged, some seeking blessings, others simply trying to January 2022, at least 12 people died in a stampede at the Vaishno Devi shrine in Jammu and Kashmir after a huge crowd tried to enter the narrow shrine in October 2013, around 115 devotees were killed and over a hundred injured at the Ratangarh temple in Madhya Pradesh during Navratri celebrations, when more than 150,000 people converged on the February 2013, 36 pilgrims, mostly women, died in a stampede on the busiest day of the Kumbh Mela in Uttar Pradesh. The chaos began at the Allahabad railway station amid massive list goes these incidents, a pattern emerges: inadequate planning, lack of exit routes, broken barricades, absent or ineffective crowd control, and above all, a failure to respect the scale of public emotion that drives thousands — sometimes lakhs — to it's a cricket celebration, a railway rush, or a religious ritual, India continues to grapple with a grim truth — joy and devotion can turn deadly in the absence of foresight. Each tragedy leaves behind grieving families, unanswered questions, and a promise from authorities to investigate and improve.
