The Crossbill News Desk
A stampede at Kolkata’s Chorbagan Durga Puja pandal on Saturday evening left 19 people dead and at least 25 injured, triggering questions over crowd management, safety arrangements and the role of the organisers and authorities during one of West Bengal’s biggest festive occasions.
The incident took place between 7 pm and 8 pm, when a large number of people had gathered to enter the popular pandal. Preliminary accounts from eyewitnesses and first responders suggested that an announcement over loudspeakers may have sparked panic among the crowd, though the precise sequence of events remained unclear late Saturday night.
Videos recorded before the stampede showed large crowds waiting to enter the pandal. The surrounding area consists of narrow lanes, where only three to four people can walk side by side, raising concerns about whether the venue and its approaches could safely accommodate the volume of visitors.
The injured and the deceased were taken to Calcutta Medical College, located less than two kilometres from the site. Dozens of relatives remained at the hospital until midnight, anxiously waiting for information about their family members.
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari visited the hospital and said police had detained the puja organisers and the private security personnel engaged to control the crowds. Durga Puja pandals across Kolkata routinely attract thousands of visitors, particularly during the evening hours.
Explaining the preliminary information available to him, Adhikari said the announcement appeared to have preceded the stampede.
“As per the briefing I have received so far, there was an announcement by the organisers on loudspeakers, after which the incident took place. (Home Minister) Amit Shah ji has cancelled his programmes (in the state) tomorrow. He will visit the injured and the victims,” Adhikari said, adding that a few of those injured were also critical, reported The Indian Express.
The chief minister also urged puja committees to coordinate with the police and address any deficiencies in crowd-control arrangements, particularly at entry and exit points.
“I appeal to all puja committees to work with the police administration, and if there are any loopholes at the entry and exit points, correct them. People’s lives are more important than the puja theme,” he said.
The state government has constituted a fact-finding panel to investigate the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
The incident took place between 7 pm and 8 pm, when a large number of people had gathered to enter the popular pandal. Preliminary accounts from eyewitnesses and first responders suggested that an announcement over loudspeakers may have sparked panic among the crowd, though the precise sequence of events remained unclear late Saturday night.
Videos recorded before the stampede showed large crowds waiting to enter the pandal. The surrounding area consists of narrow lanes, where only three to four people can walk side by side, raising concerns about whether the venue and its approaches could safely accommodate the volume of visitors.
The injured and the deceased were taken to Calcutta Medical College, located less than two kilometres from the site. Dozens of relatives remained at the hospital until midnight, anxiously waiting for information about their family members.
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari visited the hospital and said police had detained the puja organisers and the private security personnel engaged to control the crowds. Durga Puja pandals across Kolkata routinely attract thousands of visitors, particularly during the evening hours.
Explaining the preliminary information available to him, Adhikari said the announcement appeared to have preceded the stampede.
“As per the briefing I have received so far, there was an announcement by the organisers on loudspeakers, after which the incident took place. (Home Minister) Amit Shah ji has cancelled his programmes (in the state) tomorrow. He will visit the injured and the victims,” Adhikari said, adding that a few of those injured were also critical, reported The Indian Express.
The chief minister also urged puja committees to coordinate with the police and address any deficiencies in crowd-control arrangements, particularly at entry and exit points.
“I appeal to all puja committees to work with the police administration, and if there are any loopholes at the entry and exit points, correct them. People’s lives are more important than the puja theme,” he said.
The state government has constituted a fact-finding panel to investigate the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
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