Lucknow: At least 16 persons were killed and 44 others injured on September 28 night in a stampede at the Charbagh railway station after thousands of people were returning from a huge Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) rally, according to railway police.

The mishap occurred at the platform number two and three when BSP cadres thronged the station to return home after attending the party rally.

Some among the crowd got in touch with a live wire, which led to the stampede, railway police added.

The injured were rushed to the local hospitals.

Tens of thousands of people attended the rally, which was addressed by Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati.

According to the DRM, Lucknow, Kamresh Gupta, eight bodies have been already recovered.

The state government announced an ex gratia payment of Rs 1 lakh to the kith and kin of each of those killed. There were also reports of some people falling unconscious as conditions became unbearable because of the sea of humanity. Railway Minister Nitish Kumar said special trains were pressed into service in an attempt to ease the huge congestion at the railway station. An estimated 10,000 people were still there at the station even three hours after the tragedy.

A Northern railway release said 20 coaches were being added to some of the scheduled trains. The problem was further compounded when drivers and guards of the trains were unable to reach the station after the whole area was cordoned of delaying the departure of scheduled trains.

Utter chaos prevailed in the station as security forces rushed to maintain order when the rallyists were trying to board overcrowded departing trains on platform seven and eight. Some people were also seen squatting on the tracks.

Superintendent of S P Mookherjee Hospital Amarinder Singh said 12 of the injured were being treated in his hospital.

All the 16 bodies have been recovered and kept in morgues in K G Medical College, Civil hospital and Balrampur hospital, railway sources said late on September 28 night.

The identity of the dead was not immediately known, while the injured have been taken to different hospitals.

Police and Railway officials said the stampede was caused by people tripping over each other while descending the stairs over platform seven and also after three people were electrocuted triggering panic.

The three people who died after coming into contact with a live wire were perched on the roof of the over-crowded Sadbhavana Express.

PTI