At least 19 people died, and 25 others were injured in a stampede at the Chorebagan Durga Puja pandal in Kolkata on Saturday evening, West Bengal chief minister Suvendu Adhikari said, adding that he would write to the chief justice of the Calcutta high court and request the formation of a ‘fact-finding committee’.
Within seconds, several people slipped and fell on top of one another, triggering a chain reaction, HT reported earlier. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Droupadi Murmu and Mamata Banerjee were among those who expressed condolences. Located less than 2 km from Howrah Bridge, Chor Bagan is among Kolkata’s oldest Durga Puja pandals. Adhikari announced compensation of ₹ 25 lakh and a government job for the deceased’s families. The injured will receive ₹ 5 lakh each. Modi also announced financial assistance of ₹ 2 lakh for each deceased family and ₹ 50,000 for each injured person.
Eyewitnesses said people seeking shelter from the rain rushed towards the venue through the narrow lane. The state government will cover all medical expenses for those undergoing treatment, he said. The Bengal CM said the ‘fact-finding committee’, which he would request the high court to form, would include the Special Task Force (STF) and forensic teams, and the incident would be investigated accordingly.
Union home minister Amit Shah, who arrived in the state on Saturday for a two-day visit, cancelled all his engagements scheduled for Sunday and said he would visit the injured.
Former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee -led Trinamool Congress (TMC) alleged that poor crowd management and inadequate police presence led to the stampede. TMC also claimed that one of the puja organisers was the incumbent chief minister’s ‘ bhaipo ’ (nephew). It wrote on X, “A Bengal BJP MLA also happens to be the Chairman of this Puja Committee! Where is the accountability? Who is responsible for all these deaths? The Trinamool Congress (TMC) alleged poor crowd management and a lack of police presence after the stampede at the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durgotsab Samity puja pandal. Public safety cannot be treated so casually. As the death toll rises, who will take responsibility? Will @SuvenduWB accept accountability and resign?
News agency PTI reported, citing an officer, that 12 people had been detained so far. Earlier reporting noted: Kolkata pandal stampede: Mamata Banerjee expresses ‘shock and grief’, TMC alleges poor crowd management Former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee expressed shock on Saturday over a tragic Kolkata stampede in which at least 18 people lost their lives.
Police detained “some people”, including members of the club that organised the puja, the private security agency and those responsible for managing the crowd at the pandal, Adhikari said. Earlier reporting noted: Targeting the ruling BJP and the police, the party said, “@KolkataPolice and the @BJP4Bengal administration must answer for these grave lapses. Earlier reporting noted: It said, “@KolkataPolice, WHERE WAS THE SECURITY AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE WHEN PEOPLE NEEDED YOU MOST?”
