Kolkata Durga Puja pandal stampede kills 19, organisers among 7 arrested, TMC targets BJP | Top updates

The Chor Bagan Sarbojanin Durgotsab Samity pandal was closed following the stampede. Police said several other crowded puja pandals were also shut afterwards.

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At least 19 people died, and 25 others were injured in a stampede at the Chorebagan Durga Puja pandal in Kolkata on Saturday evening, West Bengal chief minister Suvendu Adhikari said, adding that he would write to the chief justice of the Calcutta high court and request the formation of a ‘fact-finding committee’.

The stampede broke out at around 7.30 pm at Chor Bagan, a popular Durga Puja venue in north Kolkata, as crowds pushed through a narrow bylane on Saptami, the seventh day of the festival. Heavy rain had left the streets slippery. Follow latest updates related to the stampede here.

Located less than 2 km from Howrah Bridge, Chor Bagan is among Kolkata’s oldest Durga Puja pandals. Eyewitnesses said people seeking shelter from the rain rushed towards the venue through the narrow lane. Within seconds, several people slipped and fell on top of one another, triggering a chain reaction, HT reported earlier.

Kolkata stampede: Latest developments

• Police detained “some people”, including members of the club that organised the puja, the private security agency and those responsible for managing the crowd at the pandal, Adhikari said. News agency PTI reported, citing an officer, that 12 people had been detained so far.
• Former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) alleged that poor crowd management and inadequate police presence led to the stampede.
• TMC also claimed that one of the puja organisers was the incumbent chief minister's ‘bhaipo’ (nephew). It wrote on X, "A Bengal BJP MLA also happens to be the Chairman of this Puja Committee! Where is the accountability? Who is responsible for all these deaths?”
• Adhikari announced compensation of ₹25 lakh and a government job for the deceased's families. The injured will receive ₹5 lakh each. The state government will cover all medical expenses for those undergoing treatment, he said.
• The Bengal CM said the ‘fact-finding committee’, which he would request the high court to form, would include the Special Task Force (STF) and forensic teams, and the incident would be investigated accordingly.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Droupadi Murmu and Mamata Banerjee were among those who expressed condolences. Union home minister Amit Shah, who arrived in the state on Saturday for a two-day visit, cancelled all his engagements scheduled for Sunday and said he would visit the injured. Modi also announced financial assistance of ₹2 lakh for each deceased family and ₹50,000 for each injured person.
• Adhikari said an announcement by the organisers of the community Durga Puja at Chorebagan triggered a rush among revellers, leading to the “painful incident”. He added that a probe would be launched into the tragedy.
• The Chor Bagan Sarbojanin Durgotsab Samity pandal was closed following the stampede. Police said several other crowded puja pandals, including Chetla Agrani and Tala Prottay, were also shut soon afterwards. Adhikari urged other puja organisers in the city to put adequate crowd-control and safety measures in place.

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  Aryan Mudgal is a Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly three years of experience. He is part of the digital news team at HT and enjoys covering day-to-day news and writing long, detailed explainers on key national and global affairs. He takes particular interest in reading and writing about Indian politics, crime, civic issues, as well as global affairs. He goes berserk when covering elections, especially Lok Sabha and assembly polls, and always looks out for fresh stories that could intrigue readers. At Hindustan Times, Aryan has covered various major events, including the Bihar assembly elections, Maharashtra civic polls, the US' military action in Venezuela, Union Budget, and Bangladesh elections. He has previously worked with the explainers team at Firstpost and the news desk at Times Network, covering a range of events including the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Israel–Hamas war, Russia-Ukraine war, Bangladesh’s student protests and Sheikh Hasina’s ouster, Delhi assembly elections, and more. He completed his bachelor’s degree in CEP (Communications & Media, English, and Psychology) from Christ University, Bengaluru, and later pursued a postgraduate diploma in English Journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC). He hails from Siliguri in West Bengal and enjoys reading about politics and day-to-day issues concerning the state. Outside of work, Aryan loves listening to music and enjoys rewatching his favourite comfort shows.Read More