Kolkata/Alive News: A loudspeaker announcement warning that a Durga Puja pandal in North Kolkata was about to collapse may have triggered panic among visitors, leading to a stampede that killed 19 people on Saturday. Eyewitnesses said the announcement came as crowds began pushing and shoving during sudden rain.
The incident took place at the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal in a crowded neighbourhood of Kolkata. A video recorded shortly before the stampede has raised questions about the crowd management arrangements made by the organisers. The narrow streets around the pandal were reportedly unable to handle the large number of visitors.
In the loudspeaker announcement, people were told to leave immediately because the pandal was in a dangerous condition. The warning reportedly caused people inside to rush towards the exits, while others waiting outside tried to enter the pandal to escape the rain. This may have created pressure from both sides, making it difficult for people to move safely.
Runu Das, an eyewitness, told that there appeared to have been negligence on the part of the organising committee. She questioned why a pandal expected to attract large crowds had been allowed to reach a situation where people were warned that it might collapse. She also said she heard the announcement while inside her house and rushed outside, where she saw an injured girl with a bleeding head.
Residents said crowding had caused problems at the Chorbagan pandal in previous years as well. On earlier occasions, organisers had reportedly stopped visitors from entering, and police intervention helped control the situation. Eyewitnesses said the latest incident raised concerns about whether adequate crowd management arrangements were in place.
Seven people have been arrested in connection with the case so far. The investigation is expected to examine the circumstances surrounding the announcement, the crowd management arrangements and the events that led to the stampede.
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said allegations of negligence would be investigated. He also urged Durga Puja organisers to ensure proper lighting and sufficient entry and exit gates at their venues. He stressed that public safety must take priority over decorative themes.
The investigation will seek to establish whether the loudspeaker warning, sudden rain, overcrowding and crowd management failures, individually or together, contributed to the tragedy.
