Traumatic asphyxia, broken ribs that punctured lungs, and severe blunt force trauma to heads and internal organs were the primary causes of death in Saturday’s stampede at a central Kolkata Durga Puja pandal, according to preliminary autopsy findings.
Traumatic asphyxia occurs when sudden, intense pressure on the chest and upper abdomen prevents adequate oxygen intake, a common cause of death in stampedes. As visitors inside refused to step out into the rain, more pandal-hoppers pushed through both the entrance and exit gates simultaneously. In response to the bottleneck, organisers began announcing on loudspeakers that the pandal structure could collapse and urged people to clear the area.
Nineteen people including 11 women and five children lost their lives in the stampede, while 25 others were injured after a crowd surge triggered a stampede at the Chorebagan Sarbojanin Durgotsav Samity pandal on Saturda.
A sudden spell of rain compounded the swelling crowd at the popular pandal, according to the police. Volunteers simultaneously blew whistles, which panicked the crowd and triggered the fatal stampede, a senior police officer said.
