At least 19 people were killed and more than two dozen injured in a stampede at a Durga Puja pandal in Kolkata on Saturday evening, as authorities investigate whether a mistaken announcement, heavy rain, and crowd-management failures contributed to the tragedy. The incident occurred around 7:40 p.m. at the Chorebagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal, a popular site in North Kolkata during the important Saptami day of the festival.
Police officials are reviewing video footage that appears to capture an announcer warning visitors inside the pandal to leave immediately and urging those outside not to enter, claiming the structure was about to collapse. “We are trying to identify who made the announcement and what prompted it,” a senior police officer said. The warning reportedly triggered panic as thousands of devotees, many of whom were seeking shelter from rain, began to move simultaneously, causing a crush.
Eyewitnesses described the scene as chaotic. Sonu Pal, a local resident who was at the pandal with his mother, said visitors inside resisted leaving due to the rain, while people at the entrance pushed to enter for shelter. “Unable to handle the pressure, everyone inside the mandap fell on each other. I myself was also crushed. Somehow, I saved myself,” he recounted. Social media videos show dense crowds trapped in barricaded passageways, with women and children calling for help and struggling to move forward.
Preliminary investigations have indicated significant lapses in crowd control and security. Authorities said there was no comprehensive plan for managing the large influx of visitors, insufficient instructions for entry and exit, and inadequate deployment of police and security personnel. The entrance gates and nearby roads were reportedly too narrow to accommodate the sudden movement of crowds, compounding the hazards. Witnesses also noted that security staff were mainly concentrated near VIP entrances rather than the general public areas.
Following the incident, police arrested seven individuals, including the secretary and vice-president of the pandal’s organizing committee. A case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder has been registered. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced the formation of a fact-finding committee headed by a sitting High Court judge to probe the disaster.
The state government announced compensation packages including Rs2.5 million and government jobs for the families of those who died, payments of Rs500,000 for each injured person, and free medical treatment for the wounded. Authorities are continuing to evaluate the full circumstances behind the stampede and steps to prevent similar tragedies in the future.