At least 19 people were killed and 25 others injured in a stampede at the Chorebagan Durga Puja pandal in Kolkata on Saturday evening. Following the tragedy, the Chief Minister of West Bengal Suvendu Adhikari announced that a Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by a sitting judge of the Calcutta High Court, will be constituted to probe the incident.
The stampede occurred at around 7:30 pm on Saptami, the seventh day of the Durga Puja festivities, at the popular Chorebagan puja venue in North Kolkata. Heavy rainfall had made the roads slippery, contributing to the chaos. Located less than 2 km from Howrah Bridge, Chorebagan is one of Kolkata’s oldest and most popular Durga Puja venues.
Eyewitnesses said large crowds rushed through a narrow passage to take shelter from the rain and enter the pandal. Within moments, several people slipped and fell, triggering a deadly stampede as others piled on top of them.
Police have detained several individuals, including members of the club that organised the puja, personnel from the private security agency, and those responsible for crowd management at the pandal. According report, at least 12 people have been taken into custody so far.
The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) has blamed poor crowd management and inadequate police deployment for the tragedy. The party also alleged that one of the organisers of the puja is the nephew (“Bhaipo”) of a senior political leader.
In a post on X, the TMC claimed that a BJP MLA serves as the president of the puja committee and questioned who should be held accountable for the loss of lives. The West Bengal government has announced compensation of Rs 25 lakh and a government job for the family of each deceased victim.
Those injured in the incident will receive Rs 5 lakh each, while the state government will bear the full cost of their medical treatment. The Chief Minister also confirmed that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by a sitting judge of the Calcutta High Court will investigate the circumstances leading to the stampede and determine responsibility.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Droupadi Murmu, and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, among others, have expressed their condolences over the tragedy. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who arrived in West Bengal on Saturday for a two-day visit, cancelled all his scheduled programmes on Sunday and said he would visit the injured victims.
Prime Minister Modi also announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the next of kin of each deceased victim and Rs 50,000 for every person injured in the stampede.
