At least 19 people died and 25 were injured after a stampede at the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal in north Kolkata on Saturday evening, prompting the police to seal the venue, shut several other crowded pujas and begin an investigation into crowd movement, lighting and emergency access.
The incident took place around 7.30pm at the puja on Radhamadhab Saha Lane in Machuabazar, when hundreds of visitors were stranded in a narrow, curved passage leading to an exit. The passage had reportedly been closed because of rain. As the crowd behind them continued to build, people near the front fell and others were trampled, according to the report.
Chief minister Suvendu Adhikari said 17 people died at the spot and two more died while being taken to hospital. The police said the injured were moved to Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata. In a written statement, additional commissioner of police (crime) Kunal Agarwal said the incident occurred at around 7.40pm at the exit gate of the Sarada Park, or Chor Bagan, puja pandal under Girish Park police station because of a heavy rush of pandal visitors during rain.
Agarwal said reinforcements from the police control room, fire brigade, Kolkata Police, disaster management teams and ambulances with medical personnel were sent to the site. He said around 35 people had been taken to the hospital, while the police continued to await further details. The pandal was closed to visitors after the incident.
Eyewitnesses described difficult conditions inside and around the venue. Some visitors said the air-conditioning had stopped working as the pandal became overcrowded, while inadequate lighting made it difficult for people to find their way out. Social media images carried by the report showed people lying on the road in the rain, with visitors and volunteers attempting to provide water and assistance. Shoes were scattered around the area, and part of the pandal was reportedly ripped open to help remove people trapped inside.
A survivor said a flight of steps led to the exit gate and that several people fell as the crowd waiting to leave grew. The survivor said three friends fell and that others tripped over them, while people in the heap reached out for support. The curved passage was divided by an iron partition, according to the report.
The Chorbagan puja, located near the Ram Mandir in an area known for narrow lanes, is a major annual attraction. The puja is in its 91st year and had drawn large crowds since the pandal was inaugurated on October 12. Its theme this year was “Beyond Sound”, with an elevated gallery-like structure built around the idol to allow visitors to view it from all sides.
The design and the evening rush became central to the initial police inquiry. The elevated gallery is believed to have contributed to the crowd build-up, although the police have not yet announced a finding on the cause of the stampede. Investigators are collecting CCTV footage and examining why visitors near the exit were reportedly unable to move out while more people continued to gather behind them.
Several other pujas, including Tala Prottoy and Chetla Agrani, which had also witnessed large turnouts, were shut. The chief minister asked puja committees to make necessary amendments wherever required and said a fact-finding exercise would determine how the incident occurred. He also announced a special investigation team headed by a sitting judge and said no one would be spared if wrongdoing was established.
The administration also directed theme pujas to improve lighting. The state cancelled its programmes scheduled for Sunday, while senior doctors were instructed to report to the hospital. The chief minister and health minister Sharadwat Mukherjee visited the hospital, and the chief minister later entered the pandal with police and forensic officers.
The state government announced an ex gratia payment of ₹25 lakh and a Group D government job for the family of each person who died. The injured will receive ₹5 lakh from the state. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced ₹2 lakh for the next of kin of each deceased person and ₹50,000 for each injured person. Union home minister Amit Shah postponed his scheduled programmes in Bengal and said he would visit the injured.
The police opened helplines at 18003455678 and 033 22143130. The investigation, including the review of CCTV footage and the work of the police, forensic and fire teams, is expected to establish how the exit was managed and how emergency response unfolded after the crowd surge.
