Kolkata Durga Puja Stampede Kills 17, Injures 25; Organisers and Security Staff Detained

At least 17 people were killed and 25 injured in a stampede outside the Sarda Park (Chorbagan) Durga Puja pandal in Kolkata’s Girish Park area on Saturday evening, local authorities said. A 7-year-old girl was among the dead, and six bodies have been identified so far.

How the Stampede Happened

According to Kolkata Police, the stampede broke out at around 7:40 pm at the pandal’s exit gate when an announcement by the organisers during rainfall triggered panic among devotees leaving the venue. The jostling in the exiting crowd quickly turned into a deadly crush.

Organisers, Guards and Staff Detained

Police have detained the pandal organisers, private security guards and staff for questioning. Investigators are trying to establish where crowd management failed during the rain and how such a large crowd built up at the exit gate.

Modi Announces Compensation

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced compensation of 200,000 rupees for the families of the dead from the Prime Minister’s relief fund and 50,000 rupees for each injured person. Home Minister Amit Shah and other senior leaders postponed all official programmes.

Fears the Toll Could Rise

Authorities fear the death toll could rise. Women and children are among the injured. Six of the deceased have been identified so far while identification of the others continues.

Background: Durga Puja, Bengal’s Biggest Festival

Durga Puja is West Bengal’s biggest religious and cultural festival, drawing hundreds of thousands of devotees to Kolkata’s pandals. Overcrowding at popular pandals has caused accidents in past years as well.

Sources: Geo News (AFP), Dawn, Reuters, The Nation.