- A video showed a crowd crush at Kolkata's Chorbagan Durga Puja pandal during a stampede
- The stampede killed 19 people, including 13 women and two minors, and injured 25 others
- West Bengal CM cited a loudspeaker announcement and whistle blows as triggers for the rush
A 49-second phone video purportedly showing the crowd crush at Kolkata's Chorbagan Durga Puja pandal has surfaced after Saturday evening's stampede killed 19 people and injured 25.
Women and children can be heard crying for help. Visitors are packed shoulder-to-shoulder inside a narrow, barricaded passage beneath a low roof. Some appear to brace themselves against the wall to avoid falling.
A separate clip appears to show people rushing towards the pandal in the rain, several holding umbrellas.
The stampede broke out around 7:40 pm on Saptami. Thirteen women and two minors were among those killed. Three injured people were admitted to intensive care, with one in critical condition.
What Triggered The Rush?
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said officials' preliminary accounts pointed to a loudspeaker announcement by the organisers.
“According to initial reports by the officials at the spot, the incident occurred owing to an announcement on the loudspeaker by the puja organisers,” he said after visiting the injured at Kolkata Medical College and Hospital.
What was announced remained unclear.
Adhikari also cited allegations from relatives of two victims that private security guards blew whistles, prompting people waiting outside to rush forward. Investigators are examining the sequence of events.
Organisers Among Seven Arrested
Police registered a suo motu case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder and arrested seven people, including puja committee secretary Raj Kumar Sewda and vice-president Santanu Dubey.
The others arrested were Biplab Mukherjee, who was involved in constructing the bamboo structure; Koushik Saha and Pintu Dey, responsible for crowd control; and private security incharges Suman Chakraborty and Rajesh Pal.
Outside the pandal, photographs showed scattered footwear. The exit gate reportedly collapsed under crowd pressure.
Several prominent pujas, including Tala Pratyay, Alipore Sarbojanin, Chetla Agrani and Ballygunge Sarbojonin, were asked to temporarily stop admitting visitors, according to an official cited by PTI.
Adhikari urged organisers to provide adequate lighting and sufficient entry and exit gates.
“Many pandals are dimly lit in the name of theme puja,” he said. “Lives of people are more valuable than themes.”
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