Chaos erupted at Madhubani railway station in Bihar as frustrated devotees heading to Prayagraj for the Maha Kumbh vandalised the AC coaches of the Swatantrata Senani Express after being unable to board the already packed train. Videos of the incident have surfaced on social media, showing agitated passengers throwing stones at the train, shattering windows, and forcefully entering compartments.
Eyewitnesses reported that the AC coaches were filled with devotees, preventing the doors from opening. As the crowd at the station swelled, some passengers attempted to board through windows, while others resorted to throwing stones and breaking the glass in anger.
The train faced similar chaos in patches between Madhubani and Darbhanga, where more devotees targeted AC coaches, damaging windows from M1 to B5 and A1 of train number 12561. The situation escalated further at Samastipur station, where large crowds were seen climbing into AC coaches through windows, turning the compartments into makeshift general coaches.
With thousands from the Mithilanchal region rushing to Prayagraj for Magh Purnima, overcrowding led to a breakdown in order. Railway police struggled to control the situation, as medical teams dispatched to treat injured passengers were unable to navigate through the massive crowd and had to return. Despite the chaos, the train eventually departed from Samastipur nearly an hour late.
(with inputs from Rohit Singh)
