The death toll in a stampede at the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal in central Kolkata remained unconfirmed late on October 17 after sudden rain triggered a rush among thousands of visitors gathered for the evening celebrations. Television channels, citing hospital sources, reported that at least 17 people were feared dead, while around 25 to 30 injured people were taken to Calcutta Medical College and Hospital, many of them said to be in critical condition.
The Kolkata Police and the Kolkata Municipal Corporation had not confirmed the reported death toll. Officials told television reporters that they were checking what had happened. The lack of an official casualty figure means that the numbers reported from hospital sources remain provisional and subject to verification.
The incident took place at the Chorbagan Sarbojanin puja on Muktaram Babu Street, a densely built central Kolkata location with a narrow approach to the pandal. The puja committee is celebrating its 91st year. Thousands of people had gathered at the site when a sudden spell of rain reportedly sent visitors searching for shelter.
According to accounts cited in the report, people on the lane outside rushed towards the pandal while those already inside tried to move out. The crowd became trapped near a makeshift staircase, where visitors reportedly fell on top of one another. A portion of an iron structure beneath the Durga idol was also suspected to have collapsed, although that detail had not been officially confirmed.
The reported crush is believed to have lasted between five and seven minutes, based on accounts available at the site. The main approach included narrow lanes leading towards the pandal. The other public exit was described as uneven and ranging from about 10 feet to 30 feet in width. One lane was reportedly restricted for VIP movement, while adjoining Parbati Ghosh Lane was said by a visitor to have been closed.
A visitor quoted in the report alleged that ambulances were not allowed through the adjoining lane and that police personnel had left the area during the incident. Local residents reportedly joined efforts to rescue people trapped in the crowd. Another visitor said that three friends accompanying him fell to the ground and had to be dragged out with the help of others.
The reported emergency response unfolded as injured visitors were taken to the nearby Calcutta Medical College and Hospital. Police sources said efforts were under way to identify the deceased and injured, many of whom were believed to have arrived from districts outside Kolkata. The hospital authorities had not provided an official casualty statement in the supplied report.
Chief minister Suvendu Adhikari visited the pandal and later went to the Medical College hospital. State health minister Saradwat Mukherjee also visited the hospital. The Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja was subsequently shut down, and members of the organising committee were not seen at the pandal after the incident.
The Kolkata Police Lalbazar Control Room opened two helplines for information and assistance: 180034556782 and 033-22141310. These numbers were provided in the report as the immediate public contact points.
The incident has renewed attention on crowd management at Kolkata’s large Durga Puja pandals, where narrow streets, temporary structures and sudden weather conditions can affect the movement of visitors and emergency services. A similar stampede-like situation at Sreebhumi Sporting Club in 2021 left three people grievously injured, according to the report. In 2015, the Deshapriya Park puja was shut down after a near-stampede injured around 11 people.
Former Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee expressed shock and sadness over the incident and wished those injured a speedy recovery. Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee called for a proper investigation and accountability, saying that the safety of ordinary people was the state government’s responsibility.
The final number of deaths and injuries, the cause of the reported crowd surge, the condition of the temporary structure and the sequence of emergency response remained to be established through official statements and investigation.
