A Kolkata stampede at the Chorbagan Durga Puja pandal killed 19 people and injured several others after heavy rain pushed visitors towards the crowded entrance on Saturday evening, according to Kolkata Police and details reported by the Times of India.
The incident occurred at around 7.40pm in the Girish Park police station area. Police said injured visitors were rescued and taken to Medical College and Hospital. A source quoted by news agency PTI at the medical college said 13 women and a child were among those who died.
Witnesses and survivors described a rapid buildup of pressure inside the pandal as visitors tried to avoid the rain. Sonu Pal, a 25-year-old resident of Kumortuli, told the Times of India that he had gone to the venue with his mother. He said people gathered near the entrance as the downpour intensified, while others continued pushing to get inside. The crowd eventually fell over one another, he said. Pal later found that his mother had died.
The husband of victim Arati Sarkar told the newspaper that he and his wife had travelled from Chakdah to Kolkata after visiting another puja venue. He alleged that barricades were removed as the rain began and that people were allowed to enter amid the rush. He said the pandal was dark and packed, and that he became separated from his wife during a fresh surge. According to his account, an ambulance was not immediately available and took more than an hour to be arranged. Doctors at the hospital later told him that Sarkar had been brought dead.
Families gathered at the hospital and police stations while trying to locate relatives who had visited the pandal. Shyamal Samaddar said his 20-year-old daughter, Priya, had gone to Chorbagan with a friend after visiting other pandals. He received a call at around 8.30pm informing him of the incident and rushed to the hospital, where he said he was not initially allowed to see his daughter.
Kolkata Police are investigating whether failures in crowd management, confusion over entry and exit routes, and the heavy rain contributed to the stampede. A senior police officer said investigators would examine crowd-control arrangements, the venue’s layout and the emergency response. Police have spoken to the organisers, sought a list of security guards and other crowd-management personnel, and are examining CCTV footage. A forensic team reached the site late on Saturday and began collecting evidence.
Several eyewitnesses alleged that announcements about entry, exit and crowd movement were inadequate. Local residents also questioned the police presence at the venue, saying personnel appeared to be concentrated near the VIP entrance. Sanghamitra Bhowmik, a resident of the area, told the newspaper that she had not seen adequate police deployment.
Chief minister Suvendu Adhikari visited the hospital where the injured were being treated and raised concerns about lighting at some pandals. He said many venues were dimly lit in the name of theme puja and urged organisers to follow official advice. According to the report, he also said relatives of two victims alleged that whistles blown by private security guards contributed to the rush. Kolkata Police Commissioner Ajay Nanda visited the hospital as officials assessed the situation.
The West Bengal government has established a toll-free helpline, 18003455678, for people seeking information about those affected. The police investigation will examine eyewitness accounts, CCTV footage, venue arrangements and the actions of organisers, private security personnel and police deployed at the pandal.
