New Delhi railway station stampede: 15 autopsy reports out

Postmortem reports of 15 victims from Saturday’s stampede at New Delhi Railway Station revealed that 12 died of “traumatic asphyxia,” two from “haemorrhagic shock” due to chest injuries, and one from “blunt surface impact” to the head and chest, officials familiar with the findings of the report said on Friday.

Late on Saturday night, 18 people were crushed to death when a stampede broke out at Platform 14 of the New Delhi Railway Station.

To be sure, HT had reported on February 19 that of the 18 people killed in the stampede, 15 died of “traumatic asphyxia” as the cause of death. Traumatic asphyxia is a medical term for severe suffocation.

The three people who did not die of suffocation were all killed from trampling with reports indicating fatal injuries to the lungs, heart, and head, according to the postmortem reports.

The report added that the cause of death in the case of two victims was due to “haemorrhagic shock and its complications as a result of injury over right lung and heart consequent upon blunt force impact to chest.”

In the third victim who did not die of suffocation, the case of death appeared to be “blunt force” injuries to their head and lungs – again suggesting that the victim was trampled.

After the incident, 10 victims were sent to Lok Nayak Hospital, five were sent to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, and three were sent to Lady Hardinge Medical College. The postmortems were conducted between 2.30 am and 7 am last Sunday.

A two-member high-level investigative team has been established by the Ministry of Railways to look into the occurrence, and in an official communication, the committee has requested that the Delhi Police provide all postmortem findings.