The Kolkata pandal stampede at the Chorbagan Durga Puja venue killed 19 people and injured 25 others after heavy rain triggered a crowd surge at the north Kolkata installation on Saturday evening, police said. Seven people, including office-bearers of the puja committee and employees of a private security agency, have been arrested, while a special investigation team will examine the circumstances that led to the deaths.
Police said the incident involved inadequate crowd management, narrow entry and exit points, insufficient security personnel and confusing announcements after a sudden downpour. Fourteen people were initially detained on Saturday night, with seven subsequently arrested. Those arrested include Chorbagan Puja committee secretary Rajkumar Seoda, vice-president Shantanu Dubey, bamboo-structure installer Biplab Mukhopadhyay, crowd-management personnel Kaushik Saha and Pintu De, and private security agency employees Suman Chakraborty and Rajesh Pal.
A senior IPS officer told PTI that more arrests could follow. Police said they had gathered CCTV footage, recorded accounts from residents and eyewitnesses, and other evidence pointing to what the officer described as “gross mismanagement” by the organisers. Investigators are also identifying the people responsible for security and crowd management at the venue.
According to the police account, the rain caused a large number of visitors to enter the pandal for shelter while people already inside struggled to leave. The narrow gates and approach road intensified the congestion. Some visitors reportedly attempted to exit through the entrance as the crowd surged. Police said announcements about entry, exit and movement within the venue were inadequate.
Investigators are examining a video recording of an announcement asking visitors to leave because the pandal structure was allegedly about to collapse. Police are trying to establish who made the announcement and why it was issued. The authorities are also questioning survivors, security personnel and others present at the venue to reconstruct the sequence of events.
West Bengal minister Umesh Rai, who visited injured people at Calcutta Medical College and Hospital, said the incident indicated lapses in arrangements by the puja organisers and the security agency. He said visitors were entering from one side while those inside were unable to leave because of the rain, creating the conditions for the stampede. Rai said the SIT would investigate the incident and determine responsibility.
Residents who helped respond to the emergency alleged that there were too few police personnel and volunteers at the venue. One resident said the police presence was inadequate, while local resident Sanghamitra Bhowmik alleged that this contributed to the mismanagement. Residents also said police personnel were concentrated near the VIP entrance and that administrative assistance in moving injured people to hospitals was limited. These accounts are being examined as part of the investigation.
The deceased included 13 women and a child, according to a source at the medical college. The injured were initially admitted to the emergency department, and 11 patients were shifted to SSKM Hospital. One injured person was described as slightly serious but stable, Rai said. A forensic team visited the site late on Saturday and collected evidence, with further examination expected to be carried out by another team and officers from the Detective Department.
The incident has also raised questions about safety arrangements at theme-based Durga Puja installations, where elaborate structures and controlled lighting are central to the visitor experience. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari urged organisers to follow official safety advice and said many pandals were dimly lit in the name of theme-based design. He also said families of two victims had told him that whistles blown by private security guards contributed to the rush.
The police commissioner has imposed prohibitory orders under Section 163 on roads adjoining the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal. The restrictions, covering roads under Bowbazar police station’s jurisdiction, will 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. A toll-free helpline, 18003455678, has been established to provide information about those affected.
The SIT will continue examining CCTV footage, forensic material, eyewitness accounts, security deployment and the approvals and arrangements connected with the pandal. Police said further arrests would depend on the findings of the investigation.
