The Chorbagan pandal accident in Kolkata killed 19 people after a section of the venue reportedly collapsed amid severe crowd pressure on Saturday evening, during Maha Saptami, according to a report by Sangbad Pratidin. Artist Sushanta Shibani Pal, associated with the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja, expressed regret over the incident and said additional lighting had been installed in darker areas of the pandal before the accident.
The pandal had attracted large crowds from different parts of West Bengal as well as visitors from outside the state after videos of its lighting and design circulated widely on social media. The report said the installation had become a major attraction from the beginning of the Puja celebrations, with visitors stopping to record reels inside the venue.
Pal said the level of crowding had already raised concern among the organisers. According to his account, he had spoken to club officials after observing the volume of visitors at the pandal. He said the accident appeared to be linked to the pressure created by the crowd, while also pointing to a lack of awareness among some visitors.
The artist also said that visitors attempting to make reels may have contributed to pushing and congestion inside the pandal. He claimed that repeated announcements had asked people not to remain inside for extended periods. However, visitors continued to stay in the venue, creating a growing queue outside. Those waiting outside became impatient, according to the report, and pushing reportedly began as the crowd sought to move forward.
Additional lights were installed in darker sections after the organisers sensed the possibility of an unpleasant incident, Pal said. The measure was intended to improve visibility inside the pandal, but it did not prevent the fatal event. The report did not provide details of any official investigation, police statement or administrative action following the deaths.
The incident has placed attention on how temporary festival structures manage visitor movement when an installation becomes a high-demand attraction. In this case, the combination of a viral design, visitors stopping to create social-media videos, prolonged stays inside the venue and a large waiting crowd outside formed the setting described by the artist. These factors were presented as part of his account of the circumstances before the accident, rather than as a formal determination of responsibility.
The Chorbagan event had been widely discussed because of its visual design and popularity. Its sudden transformation into the site of a mass-casualty incident has intensified questions about crowd management inside temporary public venues during major festivals. Sangbad Pratidin reported that Pal apologised and expressed sorrow over the deaths. Further official details were not available in the supplied report.
