Last Updated:
Durga Puja stampede: The complaint blames poor crowd management, says police had approached organisers around 3 am on October 17 and briefed them on safety guidelines
Kolkata Police personnel examine scattered belongings inside the Durga Puja pandal after Saturday’s stampede-like situation. (PTI)
Heavy rain coupled with a warning that the pandal could collapse led to stampede at the Chorbagan Sarbojanin (Sarada Park) Durga Puja pandal in north Kolkata on Saturday which killed at least 19, according to a complaint filed by a sub-inspector of Girish Park police station.
The complaint copy, exclusively accessed by CNN-News18, will form the basis of the First Information Report (FIR).
THE STAMPEDE
The incident occurred between 7 pm and 7.30 pm on October 17 at the puja pandal located at 10/1, Radha Madhab Saha Lane, under Girish Park police station. According to the complaint submitted by Sub-Inspector Rupak Das, visitors began jostling and a stampede broke out after a sudden downpour and an announcement by the organisers that the pandal’s condition had deteriorated and it could collapse at any moment.
AT THE SPOT
Das said he reached the spot after receiving information about the incident and found several people injured, many of them unconscious. Police personnel and local residents were shifting the injured to hospitals, while the pandal was evacuated and cordoned off.
Several injured people were taken to Medical College and Hospitalwhere Das subsequently went to check on their condition. Hospital authorities later informed him that 10 people had died. The deceased were identified as Abhishek Srivastav (38), Sriparna Poddar (26), Mithu Mondal (45), Akriti Kumari (17), Barnali Haldar (17), Shuvam Sonkar (32), Arati Sarkar Biswas (45), Kalpana Jana (46), Taniya Biswas (18) and Tagar Bhej (37).
At A Glance
A stampede occurred at the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal in north Kolkata on October 17 between 7 pm and 7.30 pm.
The stampede was triggered by heavy rain and an announcement warning that the pandal could collapse.
Hospital authorities confirmed that 10 people died from the incident and several others were injured.
Police had briefed the organisers at 3 am on October 17 regarding safety arrangements and crowd movement guidelines.
THE CAUSES
The complaint alleges that inadequate crowd management at the entry and exit gates contributed to the tragedy. According to Das, personnel assigned by the organisers to regulate the crowd failed to restrict the inflow of visitors or ensure their orderly exit, despite the heavy rain and overcrowding inside the pandal.
The police officer further alleged that the announcement warning of a possible collapse aggravated panic among visitors, prompting them to rush and jostle.
ORGANISERS WERE BRIEFED ON GUIDELINES
The complaint also states that police had approached the organisers around 3 am on October 17 and communicated detailed guidelines on safety arrangements and crowd movement in and around the pandal.
The organisers had been asked to comply with the instructions, the complaint said.
Das requested legal action against the Chorebagan Sarbojanin Durgotsav Samity organisers and others allegedly responsible for the incident.
Quick Answers
Ask News18The stampede at the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal was triggered by a sudden downpour, overcrowding, and an announcement by organisers warning that the pandal’s condition had deteriorated and it could collapse, which caused widespread panic and jostling among visitors.
Ask News18About the Author
Madhuparna Das, Associate Editor (policy) at CNN News 18, has been in journalism for nearly 14 years. She has extensively been covering politics, policy, crime and internal security issues. She has co…Read More
October 18, 2026, 12:34 IST
Read More
Source link
[ad_3]
