Kolkata: Amid the festivities of Durga Puja, a tragic incident occurred in West Bengal on the evening of Saptami, claiming the lives of at least 17 people. A small section of a puja pandal in North Kolkata collapsed under the pressure of a crowd, triggering a stampede. In addition to the 17 fatalities, approximately 40 people were injured. A report by the Bengali news portal Anand Bazar Patrika stated that the victims include three men, one child, and 13 women.

Following the incident, all affected individuals were evacuated and admitted to the Calcutta Medical College Hospital. Upon receiving information about the incident, police and disaster management officials reached the scene. Organizers of the puja immediately engaged in relief work to manage the situation. Chief Minister Sudip Bandyopadhyay and Chief Secretary Manoj Agrawal have also arrived at the Calcutta Medical College after receiving news of the incident.

According to the Kolkata Police, the stampede occurred at the main gate of the Sharada Park Puja Pandal in Chowringhee due to a heavy crowd during the rain. The incident took place in the Gresham Park police station area at approximately 7:40 PM on October 17. After the incident, all injured persons were evacuated and transported to the Medical College Hospital (MCH). Police stated that teams from the Control Room, Fire Brigade, Kolkata Police, and the Disaster Management Group (DMG) were dispatched to the scene. Medical teams accompanied by ambulances were also sent. The puja pandal has currently been closed to devotees. On the administration’s orders, the nearby Tala Pratim Pandal has also been temporarily closed, while the Chitla Agrani Pandal was closed for one hour.

An eyewitness to the incident stated that several people fainted during the stampede. Some individuals were carried away on motorcycles. The eyewitness mentioned seeing many people around collapsing unconscious and being transported via motorcycles. A media report noted that a large number of people had been arriving for darshan over the past three to four days. Due to the popularity of the pandal, a continuous crowd had gathered there. At the time of the incident, a significant number of people were present near the pandal. Suddenly, people standing outside rushed inside the pandal to take shelter from the rain. This increased the pressure on the pandal, causing a section of it to collapse. This led to a stampede-like situation in which some people were crushed.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah expressed deep sorrow over the stampede incident. He wrote on the social media platform X, “I have just received the deeply distressing news of the stampede at the Chowringhee Durga Puja Pandal in Kolkata. I have spoken with Chief Minister Sudip Bandyopadhyay on the matter.” He further wrote, “I pray for the souls of the devotees who lost their lives in this incident to find peace and express my condolences to their families.” Former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also expressed profound grief over the incident. She stated that she is deeply shocked and saddened by the news. Mamata Banerjee expressed her wishes for the speedy recovery of the injured and prayed to Mother Durga to give strength and courage to the affected families during this difficult time.