A visitor from Chakdah has described how his wife died after a crowd crush at Kolkata’s Chorbagan puja pandal, alleging that barricades were removed during rain and that no ambulance was available for more than an hour after she was found motionless.
Ram Sarkar told Times of India that he and his wife, Arati Sarkar, reached Santosh Mitra Square at about 1 pm before deciding to visit the Chorbagan pandal. He said crowd regulation at Santosh Mitra Square appeared orderly, but the situation at Chorbagan was different, with visitors waiting in a queue that had spilled onto Central Avenue.
According to Sarkar, the crowd continued to grow after rain began. He said volunteers removed barricades and allowed people to enter, apparently because of concern that visitors might leave. Sarkar said he and Arati were pushed into the pandal by the crowd rather than entering under controlled movement.
He described the interior as dark and densely packed, saying visitors could barely breathe. When people began pushing from behind, he fell and became separated from his wife. He said the crush lasted only a few minutes, but people were shouting and attempting to escape while others lay on the ground.
Sarkar said he found Arati motionless after getting back on his feet. In his account, he called for help but could not see volunteers, police personnel or organisers assisting people inside the pandal. He said there was no ambulance immediately available and that it took more than an hour to arrange transport to a hospital.
Doctors at the hospital told Sarkar that Arati had been brought dead, according to his account. He also said he was not allowed inside to see her and was asked to report to a police station the following morning.
The account highlights the operational risks created when large festival crowds converge on temporary public venues, particularly during sudden weather changes. Barricade removal, restricted visibility, crowd movement inside enclosed spaces and delayed access for emergency vehicles can make it difficult for organisers and responders to identify and reach people in distress. The specific sequence of events and the causes of the stampede were not independently established in the report.
Sarkar said the couple had travelled to Kolkata intending to visit puja pandals and have dinner together. He described the visit to Chorbagan as their final puja outing together. Further details on the police response, the number of people injured or killed, and the authorities’ findings were not available in the supplied report.
