A Kolkata pandal stampede killed 19 people and injured several others after heavy rain drove visitors towards the entrance of a crowded Durga Puja venue in the Chorbagan area on Saturday evening, with police examining crowd management, entry and exit arrangements, lighting and the emergency response.
The incident occurred around 7.40 pm in the Girish Park police station area. Visitors had gathered at the Chorbagan Durga Puja pandal when a sudden downpour caused people to crowd near the entrance to avoid the rain. Eyewitnesses said the pressure increased as more visitors pushed towards the venue, leaving people unable to move or remain upright.
Sonu Pal, a 25-year-old resident of Kumortuli, told The Times of India that he was visiting the pandal with his mother when the crowd began to surge. He said he was trapped beneath the crowd but managed to regain his footing and reach his mother, who had died by then.
The dead included 13 women and a child, according to a source quoted by the Press Trust of India at Medical College and Hospital. Police said injured visitors were rescued and taken to hospital. Sources at Medical College and Hospital said the injured were admitted to the emergency department, while 11 patients were shifted to SSKM Hospital.
Families arriving at the hospitals described difficulties locating relatives and receiving information. Priya Samaddar, 20, from Madhyamgram, had been visiting pandals with a friend before going to Chorbagan. Her father, Shyamal Samaddar, said he was informed of the incident by her friend at about 8.30 pm and rushed to the hospital.
Arati Sarkar’s husband said the couple had travelled from Chakdah to Kolkata and reached Chorbagan after visiting another pandal. He alleged that barricades were removed as the rain began and that visitors were allowed to enter amid the rush. He said the interior was dark and densely packed, and that he was separated from his wife during a fresh surge of people. He later found her motionless and was told at the hospital that she had been brought dead.
Kolkata Police are investigating whether inadequate crowd management, unclear entry and exit routes, heavy rain and insufficient emergency arrangements contributed to the stampede. A senior police officer said investigators would examine eyewitness accounts, venue arrangements and the emergency response. A forensic team reached the site late on Saturday, while police sought a list of security guards and other personnel employed to manage the crowd.
Investigators will also question police personnel deployed at the venue and examine CCTV footage. Eyewitnesses alleged that announcements about entry, exit and crowd movement were inadequate. Local residents questioned the deployment of police personnel, saying officers were mainly positioned near the VIP entrance.
Chief minister Suvendu Adhikari visited the hospital where injured people were being treated and raised concerns about lighting at some pandals. He said organisers should follow official advice and alleged that family members of two victims had reported that whistles blown by private security guards contributed to the rush. Kolkata Police Commissioner Ajay Nanda also visited the hospital.
The West Bengal government has established a toll-free helpline, 18003455678, for people seeking information about those affected. Police said the investigation would establish whether organisers or others had violated rules while constructing or managing the pandal and would determine the roles of people present during the incident.
