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Stampede at Kolkata Durga Puja Pandal Kills at Least 17, Injures 25

At least 17 people were killed and 25 injured when a crowd surged at the Sarada Park Durga Puja pandal in North Kolkata on Saturday evening, after heavy rain drove visitors toward a narrow exit gate.

By admin Oct. 17, 2026 · 7:51 PM ET 2 min read

An illuminated Durga Puja pandal entrance decorated with lights in Kolkata at night, the street in front empty.

At least 17 people were killed and 25 others injured in a stampede at a Durga Puja pandal in North Kolkata on Saturday evening, West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said. The crush happened around 7:40 p.m. local time at the exit gate of the Sarada Park (Chor Bagan) pandal, in the Girish Park Police Station area, as heavy rain drew large crowds to the site.

Festival visitors with umbrellas walk toward a lighted pandal entrance in the rain at dusk.

According to a Kolkata Police statement, the stampede broke out at the pandal’s exit gate amid heavy crowds and rain. A senior officer said rain began in the evening, prompting people waiting outside to rush forward. Some fell onto the road, and the crowd behind kept pushing until the crush formed. Adhikari said an announcement by the event’s organizers added to the rush among visitors, calling the result a “painful incident.” NDTV reported that the dead included 13 women and a seven-year-old child, and that the rain, swelling crowds and a narrow exit contributed to the stampede.

Fire trucks, ambulances and police vehicles with flashing lights on a rainy city street at night.

Eyewitnesses described chaos in the dark, rain-soaked crowd. One witness told news agency ANI that many people lost consciousness in the crush. “Many people lost consciousness; some were being taken on motorcycles,” the witness said. “There was a massive crowd as well.” Another witness said three friends were trapped underneath the crowd. “There was no situation in which one could breathe,” the witness said. Local residents helped rescue people by breaking through another section of the pandal, according to eyewitness accounts.

Rescue and official response

Police, fire brigade personnel, disaster management teams and medical teams rushed to the scene along with ambulances. The injured were taken to Calcutta Medical College and Hospital, where Adhikari said 17 people were brought dead and one of the injured was in critical condition. Hospital sources said more than 30 people had been taken there. The pandal has been closed to visitors.

An ambulance parked outside a hospital entrance at night.

Adhikari and Chief Secretary Manoj Agarwal visited a state-run hospital where the injured were taken, and Health Minister Saradwat Mukherjee also rushed to the hospital. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences over the loss of life and announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs2 lakh to the family of each person killed, plus Rs50,000 for each injured person. Former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee said she was “deeply shocked and saddened to learn about the stampede at the Chorbagan puja pandal.”

Reporting based on coverage by The Business Standard and The Hindu BusinessLine.

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