Following the tragic stampede at Chorbagan, the investigation has revealed serious shortcomings in crowd management and emergency response protocols
Investigators believe these lapses turned Saturday night’s heavy rain and a sudden surge of visitors into a disaster that killed 19 people and injured around 25. Seven people, including two office-bearers of the Chorbagan Durga Puja committee, have been arrested in a suo motu case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder and remanded in 10 days’ police custody. The notices, dated October 18, cited inadequate lighting, temporary commercial stalls near entry and exit points, blocked access and LPG cylinders close to inflammable Puja structures.
The narrow Radha Madhab Saha Lane emerged as a critical bottleneck, with visitors who had entered the queue finding little scope to leave midway,” said a senior officer of Kolkata police. An investigator said an unverified warning that the pandal structure was about to collapse allegedly triggered a panic-driven rush towards the exit. Organisers said the team managing Chorbagan Puja had changed, with the new members lacking experience of handling large crowds in the narrow lane.
KOLKATA: The Chorbagan stampede probe has exposed serious gaps in crowd management at the north Kolkata Durga Puja pandal, including the absence of a structured emergency evacuation plan, poorly regulated entry and exit routes and inadequate coordination between police, private security personnel and volunteers. The investigation has found that crowd movement at the venue was managed largely through verbal instructions rather than a documented, coordinated plan, leaving little room for an organised response when the situation deteriorated. “There was no properly routed queue systems, designated holding areas or adequately planned emergency bypasses to allow visitors to leave safely during a sudden surge. The role of an announcement over the public address system is also under scrutiny. The incident has also raised questions over the experience of those handling crowd management this year. Organisers expect crowd management to improve after nine senior IPS officers with previous experience of Puja crowd control returned to the city. Following the tragedy, a high-level inspection team led by special task force director-general Jawed Shamim and fire and emergency services director-general Anuj Sharma began visiting major pandals to identify lapses in crowd safety, fire preparedness, lighting, ventilation and traffic movement. Police have issued fresh advisories, while traffic arrangements around prominent venues are being reviewed to keep access routes clear for emergency vehicles. The fire and emergency services department has issued showcause notices to Ballygunge Cultural Association and Chetla Agrani Club after inspections flagged safety deficiencies.
Several police personnel familiar with previous years’ arrangements had also been transferred to different districts before the festival.