The Kolkata pandal stampede that killed 19 people and injured 25 others during Saptami celebrations was linked by police to inadequate crowd management, insufficient security deployment, narrow gates and an announcement that allegedly caused panic among visitors at the Chorbagan Durga Puja pandal in north Kolkata.
A senior Kolkata Police officer said on Sunday that circumstantial evidence, CCTV footage and accounts from local residents and eyewitnesses pointed to “gross mismanagement” by the puja organisers. The officer said there was no clear plan to manage the large number of visitors and that crowd-control arrangements had largely been handled verbally.
The incident occurred on Saturday evening after a sudden downpour, when a surge of visitors gathered at the pandal. According to the police account, people attempted to escape through the entrance gate during the stampede. The gates and the approach road were narrow, creating additional difficulty as the crowd moved through the area.
Police also said the number of personnel and private security guards deployed at the venue was inadequate. Locals alleged that police personnel were concentrated mainly near the VIP entrance, leaving other parts of the venue with limited deployment. The allegation is part of the information being examined during the investigation.
The police officer said announcements about entry, exit and the movement of visitors were inadequate and left people confused during the rush. Investigators have also found video footage of an announcement asking visitors to leave the pandal because the structure was allegedly about to collapse.
Police are attempting to identify who made the announcement and what prompted it. The supplied police account does not establish whether the structure was actually at risk of collapse, but investigators are examining the announcement as a possible factor in the panic and subsequent crowd movement.
A team of forensic experts visited the pandal on Saturday night and collected evidence from the site. Another forensic team was scheduled to visit on Sunday, while officers from the Detective Department were also due to inspect the venue as part of the probe.
Kolkata Police plans to question survivors to obtain first-hand accounts and cross-check the findings based on statements from local residents and other eyewitnesses. Investigators are also reviewing CCTV footage and recorded accounts collected from the scene.
The incident has led to restrictions around the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal. Kolkata Police Commissioner Ajay Kumar Nand imposed prohibitory orders under Section 163 on roads adjoining the venue on Sunday morning. The area falls under the jurisdiction of Bowbazar Police Station, and the restrictions are scheduled to remain in force until October 20.
The state government has announced compensation of Rs 25 lakh and a Group D government job for the family of each deceased victim, according to the report. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has also ordered the formation of a Special Investigation Team headed by a sitting judge of the Calcutta High Court.
The SIT investigation, forensic examinations, survivor statements and review of the event’s security arrangements are expected to establish how the crowd surge developed, how visitors were directed during the rain and whether the announcement about the pandal’s structural safety contributed to the fatal movement of people. Kolkata Police said its next steps would include further evidence collection and questioning of survivors.
