Rain, narrow exits, false alert: What led to Kolkata Puja pandal stampede?

A stampede at the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal in north Kolkata on Saturday evening resulted in at least 19 deaths and 25 injuries. The incident occurred around 7:15 pm on Maha Saptami when a large crowd waiting along the narrow Radha Madhab Saha Lane surged forward as rain began to fall. The Economic Times reports that visitors inside the pandal struggled to reach the exit as those ahead blocked their way, and some people reportedly fell down a flight of stairs near the exit and were trampled.

Multiple factors are being examined regarding the cause of the chaos. Business Standard IN reports that police believe inadequate crowd control, narrow entry and exit gates, and a misleading announcement may have triggered the panic. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari stated that a misleading announcement by the puja committee is also suspected to have contributed to the confusion.

Following the incident, Chief Minister Adhikari visited the Kolkata Medical College and Hospital. He announced that the government will provide Rs 25 lakh and a Group D government job for the family of each deceased person.

Brief written by urgent.news from Business Standard IN, The Economic Times — 2 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.