‘Not enough police, govt hospital lacked facilities’: Kolkata pandal tragedy raises questions over emergency response
Allegations also surfaced that the state-run hospital lacked adequate facilities to treat the victims, forcing some of them to be referred to a private hospital
In Kolkata's Chorebagan area, a tragic stampede occurred outside a Durga Puja pandal, leaving 19 people dead and many injured. Sonu Ojha, a local resident, was among those witnessing the event. He and two friends were at a tea stall when they noticed people rushing to seek shelter from the rain. Ojha recounted that they heard a stampede near the exit on Bhuban Banerjee Lane and quickly went to the scene, finding a chaotic and dire situation.
The pandal had become overcrowded, with people gasping for breath and lying unconscious in the streets.
Local residents took charge of the rescue operation, carrying the injured to cabs and calling for medical help. Vivek Sonkar, another witness, stated that they took an elderly man and helped others find temporary shelter. Overwhelmed by the scale of the disaster, most victims were taken to Calcutta Medical College and Hospital, about two kilometers away.
A junior doctor admitted that the hospital lacked proper trauma-care facilities, leading to the referral of some victims to private hospitals. This revelation has sparked allegations that the state-run hospital is inadequate to handle such emergencies. The state health minister defended the hospital, claiming that victims were being treated there and that the allegations were baseless.
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