At least 19 visitors were reported dead and more than 25 injured after severe crowding at the Chorbagan Sarbojanin puja venue in north Kolkata’s Girish Park area on Saptami evening, with heavy rain forcing more people into an already congested pandal space.
The incident occurred as visitors gathered at the popular puja venue. According to the report by Sangbad Pratidin, part of the pandal collapsed amid the crush, while people inside became trapped during the rush and confusion. Doctors reportedly said that most of the deaths appeared to have been caused by suffocation under crowd pressure. The report also said that the death toll could rise.
An eyewitness, Anindya Kumar Das, a resident of Konnagar, told Sangbad Pratidin that he had arrived in the afternoon with his daughter and granddaughter after hearing that the puja was attracting large crowds and that the idol and pandal were notable. He said the family had to move through a narrow road before entering the venue.
Das said the area appeared even more constrained because of a building under construction nearby. He described a circular elevated corridor inside the pandal through which visitors had to move around before exiting. According to his account, the situation deteriorated when heavy rain began and a large number of people entered the pandal together to seek shelter.
“Suddenly there was tremendous rushing. I was busy trying to save myself,” Das was quoted as saying. He said people began falling over one another as visitors tried to escape, while he held on to his daughter and granddaughter. He also described people shouting for help and struggling to breathe.
The eyewitness alleged that he could not see police personnel or volunteers in the immediate area during the crush. He also said there was no ambulance outside when people were calling for assistance. His account said local residents later broke parts of the pandal to help rescue people who had fallen.
The report identified the circular elevated corridor as the location where the incident unfolded. It also said that the venue’s narrow approach road, the construction activity nearby, heavy rain and the simultaneous movement of visitors into the pandal contributed to the congestion described by the eyewitness.
Das said his daughter had fallen during the incident and that he struggled to locate his granddaughter amid the confusion. He told the publication that he was at a hospital and was praying for the child’s recovery.
The supplied report did not include a detailed official account from the police, civic authorities, organisers or hospital administration. It also did not provide the names of the deceased, the exact number of people admitted to hospitals or information on any formal investigation. Further official details are awaited.
