New Delhi, Feb. 17 -- In a tragic turn of events, 58-year-old Gupteshwar Yadav clutches his mobile phone, displaying a photo of his missing wife to media personnel, his face etched with despair.

He wanted any clue from anywhere that would help him find his wife. He lost her Saturday evening during the stampede at the New Delhi Railway Station that, according to officials, left 18 dead and several injured.

"I came to Delhi with my elder brother and wife from Uttar Pradesh. We were waiting at platform number 13 for the Prayagraj train when a sudden announcement informed us it would now depart from platform 14. The chaos that followed left us in a panic," he said.

Yadav recalled holding his wife's (56) hand as they struggled to make their w...