A reported stampede-like incident at the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal in Kolkata left 17 people dead and around 35 injured after heavy rain triggered a surge of visitors trying to enter the venue on Saptami evening, according to Sanmarg – Kolkata.
The injured were taken to Kolkata Medical College and Hospital, while some were later shifted to SSKM Hospital, the report said. Hospital sources cited in the report put the death toll at 17. Chief Minister Shubhendu Adhikari, who visited Kolkata Medical College after the incident, also reportedly shared the figure while speaking to journalists.
The crowd pressure developed as visitors waiting outside the pandal sought shelter from heavy rain and began moving inside. According to eyewitness accounts cited by the report, people already inside the venue and those attempting to enter became involved in pushing and jostling.
Preliminary information indicated that the pressure intensified inside a circular elevated corridor built within the pandal. Several people fell as the crowd compressed in the area, the report said. Police sources put the number of injured at about 35, although the circumstances surrounding the incident were still under examination.
The incident prompted an immediate shutdown of the pandal’s lighting and a halt to visitor entry. The Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durgotsav Committee said it was not yet clear how the incident occurred and that its immediate priority was to transport the injured to hospitals.
The chief minister visited the hospital to review the treatment of those injured. Kolkata Police Commissioner Ajay Nand also reached the hospital, according to the report. The administration issued the toll-free helpline number 18003455678 for information related to the incident.
The Chorbagan puja venue, whose theme this year is described as ‘Arab’, or ‘Beyond Sound’, is chaired by BJP legislator Vijay Ojha. The administration is investigating the cause of the crowd surge and the conditions inside the pandal at the time of the incident.
The reported deaths and injuries have brought the management of crowd movement inside temporary festival structures into immediate focus. The account points to a combination of heavy rainfall, a sudden inward movement of people and pressure around an elevated internal passage. However, the specific sequence of events and whether any safety protocols failed had not been established in the supplied report.
Authorities had stopped entry to the pandal after the incident as hospital treatment, family information and the investigation continued. Further official details were expected through the administration and the helpline issued for the incident.
