Shoes, bags, bottles and glasses lie scattered outside the Chorbagan puja, which was shut by the administration
The administration sealed the pandal, where the incident occurred around 7.30pm when a sudden downpour triggered a crowd surge after hundreds of revellers rushed in for shelter trapping those already inside. Right now our priority is to treat the 25 people who have been injured. Among them, 24 are stable but one is critical. The last major stampede during Durga Puja in Kolkata was at Deshapriya Park in 2015, when a huge crowd converged to view the world’s largest Durga idol, paralysing traffic across large parts of south Kolkata.
“As per initial information received, the incident happened due to an announcement made by the puja committee.
“There weren’t enough policemen or even volunteers,” one of them said. “It’s a painful incident and extremely heartbreaking,” Adhikari said, adding that the incident will be probed and “whatever action needs to be taken will certainly be taken”. The Chorbagan puja pandal has been handed over to forensic teams, STF and fire brigade,” the CM said.
Local residents, who were the first responders, blamed poor crowd-management for the tragedy. Chief minister Suvendu Adhikari, who visited the hospital and met family members of the deceased, blamed the incident on the callo-usness of the organisers. He appealed to puja committees across Kolkata to properly illuminate their pandals and adopt safety measures. We are standing by the affected families. Several people fell ill and suffered injuries in that incident but there were no deaths.
“I pray for the peace of the souls of those who have lost their lives in this tragic accident and extend my deepest condolences to the bereaved family members.
I pray to Ma Durga that all the injured individuals recover swiftly,” he posted on X.According to witnesses, thousands of people were waiting in queue in the narrow lane to enter the pandal when the skies suddenly opened up. several had to be pulled out after locals dismantled a portion of the pandal,” said an eyewitness While some could exit. Union home minister Amit Shah , who reached the city in the evening also expressed his condolence. The administration is making arrangements for the best possible medical treatment for the injured. Those already inside tried to move forward but could not as visitors ahead had blocked the exit. “The pressure of people was increasing from behind. But there was no way forward as people who had already completed viewing were refusing to step out as it was pouring outside. Suddenly, I felt a huge push and stumbled ahead. There was a flight of stairs near the exit and many hurtled down. Others trampled over those who had fallen.
I am postponing all my scheduled programs in West Bengal tomorrow to visit the injured in the hospital.
Because of its location inside the narrow Radha Madhab Saha Lane, the Chorbagan puja has long been a concern for authorities. The pandal design, which required visitors to take a flight of stairs from an upper deck to the lower level near the exit, is also believed to have contributed to the accident.