Kolkata Durga Puja safety checks have been ordered across the city after a crowd disaster at the Chorebagan Sarbojanin pandal reportedly killed 19 people and injured 25 during Saptami night celebrations. A special team led by senior officials from the disaster management department, fire services and the Special Task Force will inspect popular pandals before the remaining festival days.
According to the report, the team will be led by state disaster management secretary Rajesh Singh, fire services director general Anuj Sharma and Special Task Force additional director general Javed Shamim. Kolkata Police will assist the inspection team, which will be guided by the police director general. After visiting the pandals, the team will submit its report to state home secretary Sanghamitra Ghosh.
The administration has told puja committees to follow the team’s recommendations. The report quoted Chief Minister Shubhendu Adhikari as saying that if a pandal’s structure could be damaged or collapse under crowd pressure, organisers may be required to limit the event to rituals conducted by priests. LED screens could be installed outside so that visitors can watch the proceedings without entering the structure.
The inspections come as the city enters the remaining days of Durga Puja, including Ashtami, Navami and Dashami. The administration is seeking to prevent a repeat of the conditions reported at Chorebagan, where a crowd surge created a stampede-like situation. The chief minister said the police would identify and correct operational shortcomings at puja venues, while also asking committees to cooperate with the authorities.
The chief minister visited Kolkata Medical College and Hospital after receiving news of the incident, where injured people had been taken for treatment. He later visited the site and held an emergency meeting with hospital authorities, according to the report. A toll-free helpline, 18003455678, has been opened by the West Bengal government for information and assistance related to the incident.
The report said the administration has announced an inquiry into the disaster, including an examination of who was responsible for crowd and venue management. CCTV footage is expected to be collected, while 12 members of the puja committee were detained for questioning on Saturday night. A Special Investigation Team is also expected to be formed, comprising officials from agencies including the Special Task Force and the Criminal Investigation Department, under the leadership of a judge. The chief minister said a letter would be sent to the chief justice of the Calcutta High Court regarding the proposed investigation.
The state government has announced financial assistance of Rs 25 lakh for each deceased person’s family and a Group D government job for one family member. It will bear the treatment costs of those injured and provide Rs 5 lakh to each injured person’s family. The Prime Minister’s Office has separately announced assistance of Rs 2 lakh for the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured. The inspection team’s recommendations are expected to determine the immediate safety measures at Kolkata’s major puja venues for the rest of the festival.
