By IANS
Mughalsarai (Uttar Pradesh) : At least 15 women – most of them elderly – were killed and 50 people were injured Wednesday in a stampede at the Mughalsarai railway station in Uttar Pradesh after there was panic over a snap ticket check.
All the victims were pilgrims returning after a holy dip in the Ganges in Varanasi, about 20 km from Mughalsarai, to pray for long lives for their sons.
According to officials, the stampede took place around 1.40 p.m. when a sudden ticket check was ordered on two trains – one going to Buxar and the other to Gaya.
This led to a commotion, followed by a stampede at the platform after some passengers travelling without tickets jumped out the trains on the platforms and started running, hitting many on the way, eyewitnesses said.
Police said the women died of suffocation or were trampled over. All the deceased, and most of the injured, were women, mostly from Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh. The injured were quickly rushed to hospital.
Officials said most of the victims were elderly and were fasting as part of their annual ritual for the puja.
Railway authorities announced a compensation of Rs.15,000 for each of the deceased and Rs.5,000 each for those with serious injuries.