Heavy Rain Or Crowd Mismanagement: What Triggered Kolkata Durga Puja Pandal Stampede At Chorbagan?

Kolkata Durga Puja Pandal Stampede: A tragedy took place at Kolkata's Chorbagan Durga Puja pandal on Saturday, which left 19 dead and several injured. It was said that a heavy downpour and crowd surge triggered the stampede. Now, Kolkata Police have initiated a probe into whether crowd management, confusion over entry/exit, and heavy rain led to the deadly stampede at the Chorbagan Durga pandal.

What Eyewitnesses Say About The Stampede?

According to reports, eyewitnesses said announcements about entry/exit and crowd management were not good, which left the visitors in utter confusion during rush hours.

ALSO READ: Kolkata Durga Puja Pandal Stampede: How Heavy Rain, Crowd Surge Triggered Chaos At Chorbagan, Leaving 19 Dead

The locals also flagged inadequate police deployment and alleged that personnel were primarily deployed near the VIP entrance. According to The Hindu, Sanghamitra Bhowmik, a resident of the Chorbagan area, said, "I have not seen adequate police presence this year. This resulted in the mismanagement."

Locals also alleged that administrative assistance in taking the injured to the hospital was not up to the mark.

Several eyewitnesses alleged that announcements about entry, exit and crowd movement were improper, leaving visitors confused during the rush hours.

Police To Probe Lapses That Led To The Stampede

"There must be some lapses, but these should be probed. Whether lapses were on the part of the organisers or they had flouted the rules to erect the pandal will be checked," a senior police officer told PTI.

According to him, police are checking the causes that led to the tragedy. They are also examining the crowd control measures, arrangements at the venue and authorities' response during the emergency.

"Eyewitness accounts and other evidence will be examined as part of the investigation," he added.

ALSO READ: Kolkata Durga Puja Pandal Stampede: 19 Dead, Several Injured, CM Announces Es 25 Lakh Ex-Gratia, Jobs To Victim Families

Forensic Team Reaches Stampede Area

A team from the forensic department also reached the Chorbagan Durga Pandal area late at night and collected samples as evidence, PTI reported.