Kolkata, October 17 (TNA) At least 17 people were killed and several others injured after a stampede-like situation broke out at the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal in north Kolkata on Saturday evening, officials and hospital sources said.
The incident occurred around 7.40 pm at the exit gate of the Sarada Park–Chor Bagan puja pandal in the Girish Park police station area. The Kolkata Police said a sudden crowd surge took place as rain began to fall in the area.
Police said around 35 people were taken to Kolkata Medical College and Hospital after the incident. At least 25 injured people were initially reported to have been admitted in serious condition, with several reportedly suffering from suffocation and breathing difficulties.
According to preliminary reports, visitors waiting outside rushed forward to enter the pandal when the rain intensified. Some people fell, triggering panic and a stampede-like crush among the crowd. The pandal was closed to visitors after the incident. Reinforcements from the Kolkata Police control room, fire brigade, Disaster Management Group and ambulance services were deployed at the site.
Police and disaster-management personnel carried out rescue operations and transported the injured to hospital. Medical teams were placed on emergency duty as authorities prepared for a possible increase in the number of casualties.
The exact cause of the crowd surge remains under investigation. Witnesses and local reports also raised questions about crowd-management arrangements and the possibility that part of a temporary structure may have contributed to the chaos, although officials had not confirmed those claims.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari visited the hospital with Health Minister Sharadwat Mukherjee and held an emergency meeting to review the situation. Authorities were assessing whether additional doctors, beds and facilities were needed at other hospitals.
The Kolkata Police said the investigation would examine the arrangements at the pandal, the movement of visitors and the circumstances that led to the crowd surge. Further details about the deceased and injured were expected after identification procedures.