Stampede at Kolkata Durga Puja Pandal Kills 19; Organizers Detained as Probe Opens
A sudden downpour sent festivalgoers rushing for cover at the Chorbagan pandal on Saturday night, killing 19 and injuring 25; police have detained 12 people and a High Court-backed team is investigating.
At least 19 people, including a 7-year-old girl, died in a stampede at the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal in North Kolkata on Saturday night after a sudden downpour sent festivalgoers rushing for cover, officials said.
Twenty-five people were hospitalized, several at Kolkata Medical College and Hospital, according to People, which cited the BBC and the Associated Press. Six victims had been formally identified.
Officials told local media that the stampede started when the crowd ran for shelter under a nearby pavilion and several people tripped. A senior police official told the BBC that an announcement about the rain caused a “commotion,” after which people began “pushing, pulling and rushing forward and fell on the ground, leading to the stampede.”
Detentions and a probe
Kolkata Police detained 12 people for questioning, including organizers of the puja committee, private security personnel, and event staff, according to The Hindu BusinessLine. Seven people were arrested, including the committee’s secretary and vice president, according to the Daily Jagran. The committee’s general secretary and other office-bearers resigned after the incident, according to Hindustan Times.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari ordered a Special Investigation Team run by the state’s High Court to investigate the incident. Eyewitnesses told The Hindu BusinessLine that announcements about entry, exit, and crowd movement were improper and that police deployment at the pandal was inadequate.
The state government announced compensation of 25 lakh rupees and a government job for the family of each victim. Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Adhikari visited the injured at Apollo Hospital on Sunday, according to ANI. Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote in a social media statement that “the stampede in Kolkata is saddening” and offered condolences to the bereaved families.
About 3,500 pandals were set up across Kolkata for Durga Puja, the annual Hindu festival celebrating the goddess Durga, and authorities advised several of the most popular pandals to close after the stampede, according to the AP via People.
Reporting based on coverage by People, the BBC, the Associated Press, ANI, The Hindu BusinessLine, the Daily Jagran, and Hindustan Times.
