The incident took place around 9.55 pm, prompting an emergency response from authorities.
The Ministry of Railways has ordered an inquiry into the "unfortunate" incident and formed a two-member high-level committee to investigate the matter
Delays in train departures and the sale of around 1,500 general tickets exacerbated the situation and contributed to the overwhelming crowd, officials said.
According to the police, platforms number 13 and 14 at the New Delhi Railway station were already crowded as many people were waiting to board two trains - Swatantrata Senani and Bhubaneswar Rajdhani - which were delayed. Amid this, a special train for Maha Kumbh, the Prayagraj Express, was to leave at 10:10 pm from platform number 14.
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Additionally, eyewitnesses claimed that a rumour also spread among people that the Prayagraj Express was going to arrive on a different platform. However, the railway authorities have denied it saying, "I want to inform that no train was cancelled. The platform of any train was not changed."
This led to the passengers pushing each other and rushing towards the stairs, causing a stampede.
A wave of similar incidents has been taking place recently as special trains are arranged for the Maha Kumbh - a grand festival held only once every 12 years. Earlier this week, some passengers at Bihar's Madhubani railway station broke the glass windows of the Swatantrata Senani Express - which goes to Delhi via Prayagraj - after they were unable to board the train.Eyewitnesses recall Saturday night horror at New Delhi railway station
According to official sources, a wrong announcement about change of platforms may have created a confusion that led to the stampede, something that some eyewitnesses also claim
People's belongings scattered everywhere, a crowd unlike anything seen before with scores pushing and scrambling for space amid cries for help -- eyewitnesses have recalled the horror as the death toll in the overnight stampede at the New Delhi Railway Station climbed to 20 on Sunday.
According to official sources, a wrong announcement about change of platforms may have created a confusion that led to the stampede, something that some eyewitnesses also claimed.
As soon as the announcement was made, people surged forward by pushing each other. Those who fell were trampled in the rush, Ravi Kumar, a vendor who has been running a shop at the railway station for the past 12 years, told PTI.
The crowd was unlike anything seen before, he said.
Northern Railway's Chief Public Relations Officer Himanshu Upadhyay said on Sunday that at the time of the incident, the Patna-bound Magadh Express was stationed at platform number 14 and the New Delhi-Jammu Uttar Sampark Kranti Express at platform number 15.
The overwhelming number of passengers was waiting to board trains for Prayagraj, where the Maha Kumbh is under way.
"Some people who were coming down from the foot over bridge towards platform numbers 14 and 15 using stairs slipped and fell on others," he said, citing the cause of the stampede.
Recalling the distressing scenes, Kumar said, "The rush on platforms 12, 14, and 15 was overwhelming. All the trains bound for Prayagraj were packed beyond capacity."
"The Prayagraj Express was already stationed on one platform when an announcement was made for the arrival of another train. As soon as the announcement was made, people surged forward, pushing each other. The footbridge connecting the platforms is small, and in the rush, people fell and were trampled."
Ved Prakash, a resident of Paharganj, planned to travel to Prayagraj with his wife but decided to return home after witnessing the huge swell in crowd.
"Even inside the train, there was no space to stand. I stepped out and chose to go back," he said.
The family member of one of the deceased on Sunday reached the LNJP Hospital to collect the body of Poonam Devi, who was heading home to Bihar on Saturday night.
"There was an overwhelming crowd at the station, and her train was supposed to arrive at platform number 12. However, after an announcement was made, people started rushing, and those who fell were crushed," the relative said.
Among the victims was a woman travelling with her family to Chhapra in Bihar. Her son, struggling to hold back his tears, recounted the devastating loss.
"We were travelling home in a large group and my mother lost her life in the chaos. People were pushing each other, and she got caught in the rush," he said.
One of the passengers, Dharmendra Singh, said, "I was going to Prayagraj but many trains were running late or were cancelled. The station was overcrowded. There were far more people than I have ever seen at this station. In front of me, six or seven women were taken away on stretchers."
After the stampede at the New Delhi Railway Station that left 18 people dead, the railways has announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh each for the kin of the deceased, Rs 2.5 lakh for those seriously injured and Rs 1 lakh for people with minor injuries.
Meanwhile, the Delhi Police will scan the CCTV footage of the railway station to assess what led to the stampede.
The police on Sunday continued to barricade the entry gate of the Lok Nayak Jaiprakash Narayan Hospital here
Talking about the stampede, DCP (Railways) KPS Malhotra said a large number of people had gathered on Platform 14, where the Prayagraj Express was stationed. The delayed departures of the Swatantra Senani and Bhubaneswar Rajdhani trains led to congestion on Platforms 12, 13 and 14, which contributed to the chaos.
