At least 17 people were killed and several others injured in a stampede at the Chorebagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal in Kolkata on Saturday, prompting the police to close several major puja venues across the city as authorities began responding to the tragedy.
The injured are being treated at Calcutta Medical College and Hospital, according to the police. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said the organisers and private security guards had been detained in connection with the incident.
Adhikari said he had been briefed that an announcement was made over loudspeakers by the organisers before the stampede took place. He said he and his team were at the hospital, and that Union Home Minister Amit Shah had cancelled his programme for the following day to visit the injured and the families of the victims.
The incident has also led to precautionary closures at other prominent Durga Puja venues. Police have closed Suruchi Sangha, Chetla Agrani and several other major pandals to visitors. Tala Prattoy separately announced that its pandal would remain closed until further notice.
The closures affect venues that typically receive large crowds during Kolkata’s Durga Puja celebrations, making crowd movement, entry controls and emergency access central to the immediate administrative response. The source report did not provide details of the total number of people present at Chorebagan, the exact sequence of crowd movement or the specific arrangements in place at the venue before the incident.
President Droupadi Murmu expressed sorrow over the deaths and offered condolences to the families of those killed. She also wished the injured a speedy recovery.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced ex-gratia assistance from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund. The next of kin of each person who died will receive Rs 2 lakh, while those injured will receive Rs 50,000. In a statement, Modi described the incident as extremely distressing and said the local administration was providing assistance to those affected.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah said he had spoken to Chief Minister Adhikari about the incident and expressed condolences to the families of the victims. He also said his programmes in West Bengal for the following day had been cancelled and that he would visit the injured in hospital.
The incident places renewed focus on how high-footfall public spaces manage entry, announcements, private security, police deployment and emergency evacuation during major festivals. In the immediate term, authorities are examining the circumstances at the Chorebagan pandal while restricting access to other venues as a precaution.
The police investigation and the treatment of those injured remain the immediate next steps. Further details on the cause of the crowd surge, the number of injured and the action against organisers and security personnel are awaited from the authorities.
