A stampede at a Durga Puja Pandal in Kolkata has claimed 19 lives and left 14 others seriously injured. West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari expressed grief over the deaths and announced compensation for the affected families. The government will provide Rs 25 lakh to each bereaved family and offer one eligible member of each family a Group D government job. It will also bear the full medical expenses of those injured in the stampede. The Chief Minister has ordered a detailed investigation into the incident, led by a sitting judge of the Calcutta High Court.
Seven Arrested in Connection With Stampede:
Police have registered a case and arrested seven people, including members of the Durga Puja pandal organising committee. Another 14 people have been taken into custody in connection with the incident.
Authorities have imposed restrictions under Section 163 from October 18 to 20 to prevent further disturbances. Security has also been strengthened across Kolkata. Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited the injured at a hospital on Sunday. Accompanied by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, he spoke to doctors and sought updates on their condition. West Bengal Governor R. N. Ravi also visited the victims and wished them a speedy recovery.
Residents Question Crowd Management:
Residents described scenes of panic and poor crowd control at the pandal. Ramji Sau said people became frightened after organisers announced that the structure might collapse. The announcement triggered panic among visitors and contributed to the stampede. Another resident, Beauty Naskar, alleged that there were not enough police personnel or volunteers to manage the crowd. She also claimed that some young volunteers were busy using their phones instead of helping visitors.
Adhikari said temporary home guards responsible for managing ropes between entry and exit routes had left their posts when it started raining. He directed police across West Bengal to inspect major Durga Puja pandals and enforce safety measures.
Nine IPS officers with previous experience in the Kolkata Police have been assigned special duties in the city. Police have been instructed to keep exits clear, improve lighting and manage crowd movement. They have also been asked to ensure the availability of ropes, guardrails and loudspeakers.
Durga Puja Committees Tighten Safety Measures:
Following the tragedy, puja committees across Kolkata began improving safety arrangements. Organisers increased lighting and volunteer deployment, cleared exits and introduced limits on the number of visitors allowed inside pandals. Santosh Mitra Square introduced staggered entry and deployed additional volunteers. Thakurpukur SB Park reduced the number of visitors allowed inside at a time from 200 to 250 to around 100.
Despite the incident, crowds continued to gather at popular pandals such as Md Ali Park and College Square on Sunday. Some visitors, however, reconsidered their plans after family members advised them to avoid crowded places. The tragedy has renewed concerns about safety at major religious gatherings. As the investigation proceeds, authorities face pressure to establish what went wrong and ensure that similar incidents do not happen again.
