At Least 18 Dead, 35 Injured in Stampede-Like Chaos at Kolkata Durga Puja Pandal

At least 18 people died and 35 others were injured in a stampede-like incident at the Chorebagan Durga Puja pandal in north Kolkata on Saturday evening, October 17, amid heavy rain on the occasion of Maha Saptami.

13 women and one child were among the deceased. A police officer said that as rain began, the crowd waiting outside the pandal rushed forward, causing some people to fall onto the road and triggering the chaos.

Kolkata Police said the incident occurred at around 7:40 pm at the exit gate of the Sarada Park (Chor Bagan) Puja Pandal, under the Girish Park Police Station area. All injured persons were rescued and taken to Medical College and Hospital (MCH) for treatment.

Additional personnel from the police control room, fire brigade, Kolkata Police and the Disaster Management Group (DMG), along with ambulances and medical teams, were deployed at the site. The pandal has since been closed to visitors.

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari rushed to Kolkata Medical College and Hospital, where the victims were taken, to assess the situation. He said that one of the injured was in critical condition.

Explaining the circumstances surrounding the incident, Adhikari said an announcement by the organisers of the community Durga Puja at Chorebagan had triggered a rush among visitors, leading to the tragedy. He ordered an investigation into the incident.

The chief minister also said that officials of the Chorebagan Durga Puja organising club, private security guards and officials on duty had been detained in connection with the incident.

Six of the deceased had been identified so far, he added, while arrangements were being made to bring their family members to the hospital. “Fact-finding will be done, and steps will be taken,” the chief minister said.

Following the incident, the administration advised several popular theme-based Durga Puja organisers to temporarily close their pandals to prevent further crowd-related emergencies. Kolkata has nearly 3,500 pandals set up for Durga Puja celebrations.

President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and several other leaders expressed condolences over the tragedy.

President Murmu described the deaths as extremely sad and conveyed her deepest condolences to the bereaved families. She also prayed for the speedy recovery of those injured.

Prime Minister Modi termed the incident “extremely distressing” and announced an ex-gratia payment of ₹2 lakh to the next of kin of each deceased person from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund. The injured will receive ₹50,000 each.

In a post on X, the Prime Minister expressed sympathy for those who had lost their loved ones and wished the injured a speedy recovery. He added that the local administration was providing all possible assistance to those affected.

West Bengal Chief Secretary Manoj Agarwal also visited the state-run hospital to review the situation.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who arrived in Kolkata on Saturday evening, announced that he was postponing his scheduled visits to Durga Puja pandals on Sunday in view of the tragedy. He said he would visit those injured in the incident.

Former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said she was deeply shocked and saddened by the stampede-like situation at the Chorbagan Puja pandal.

In a post on X, she prayed to Maa Durga for the speedy recovery of the injured and for strength and courage for their families during the difficult time.

West Bengal Governor RN Ravi also expressed grief over the loss of lives, extended his condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured. State Health Minister Saradwat Mukherjee and senior officials also rushed to the hospital.

Meanwhile, disaster management personnel have been deployed at the site, and the state government has launched a toll-free helpline to provide information related to the incident. Police are continuing their investigation into the circumstances that led to the tragedy.