At least 19 people were killed and 25 others injured in a stampede during a Hindu religious festival in Kolkata, eastern India, authorities confirmed on Sunday. The incident occurred amid sudden rainfall at the Durga Puja celebration, a major event attracting large crowds.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari stated that the victims included a seven-year-old girl. He initially reported 17 fatalities, but later updated the number to 19. According to Adhikari, six bodies had been identified, and nine had been released to their families. The injured were taken to nearby hospitals, with some requiring immediate medical attention.
A senior police official at the scene explained that the stampede began after an announcement caused confusion among the crowd waiting outside a pavilion, or pandal. As the rain started, people rushed forward on narrow lanes that could accommodate only a limited number of attendees, leading to a loss of control and resulting in individuals falling and being trampled.
Visual evidence captured before the incident showed a dense crowd attempting to enter the venue, highlighting the challenges of managing large gatherings in constrained spaces. Authorities have secured closed-circuit television footage of the event and indicated they would hold accountable those responsible for crowd management failures.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences in a brief message on social media, offering sympathies to the families of the deceased and wishing a speedy recovery for the injured. The West Bengal government pledged to provide necessary assistance to affected relatives.
Stampedes and crowd-related tragedies are not uncommon in India’s mass gatherings, particularly during religious festivals. In recent years, similar incidents have resulted in significant casualties, including a 2025 stampede at the Kumbh Mela in northern India that claimed 30 lives, and a separate event last year in Bengaluru that saw 11 deaths during cricket celebrations. In 2024, a deadly crush at a Hindu event in Uttar Pradesh state killed 121 people.
Officials attributed such repeated incidents to inadequate crowd control and safety measures. The West Bengal authorities have come under scrutiny to improve management and prevent future tragedies at large-scale public and religious events.