Kolkata Durga Puja Stampede: A festive evening turned tragic on Saturday after narrow entry and exit gates, combined with sudden rainfall and massive weekend crowds, triggered a deadly stampede-like situation at North Kolkata's Chorebagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal, leaving 17 people dead and 15 others injured, eyewitnesses said.

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Narrow Entry And Exit Gates

Speaking to news agency ANI, an eyewitness whose daughter and granddaughter were among the injured said, "The entrance was very narrow, and the exit gate was also narrow."

"At the entrance, there was a 1.5-hour-long queue. Since it was raining, people were in a hurry to get in. The area was very narrow. It was dark. There was not a single light. Two people fell due to the darkness. There was a small girl and a boy. I also fell," he said in Bengali.

"I somehow managed to get up. I was very scared. There were many people on top of the girl and the boy. In that situation, there were no police or volunteers. There was nothing," he added.

Another witness told news agency ANI that many people lost consciousness during the stampede crush, adding, "Many people lost consciousness; some were being taken on motorcycles. I witnessed this happening all around—when people fainted, they were taken away on bikes. All of this took place, and there was a massive crowd as well..."

What Happened At Kolkata Durga Puja Pandal?

Addressing the incident, Kolkata Police issued a statement detailing the sequence of events.

"At around 7:40 pm, a stampede occurred at the exit gate of the Sarada Park (Chorebagan) Puja Pandal in the Girish Park Police Station area due to heavy crowds of pandal visitors during rain. All injured persons were rescued and taken to the hospital," the police said.

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Following the incident, West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari and Chief Secretary Manoj Agarwal arrived at the hospital to assess the situation.

Former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed deep shock over the tragedy.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), she wrote, "I pray to Maa Durga for the speedy recovery of all those injured and for strength and courage for their families during this difficult time."

(With Inputs From PTI)