Kolkata Durga Puja stampede kills 19; 7 arrested
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Kolkata Durga Puja stampede kills 19; 7 arrested

Kolkata Durga Puja stampede kills 19; 7 arrested
Photo: Collected


Police have arrested seven people, including organisers, after a stampede at the Chorbagan Durga Puja pandal killed 19 people and injured dozens in Kolkata on Saturday evening.

The stampede broke out around 7:40pm on Saptami, the seventh day of the 10-day festival.

Those arrested include puja committee Secretary Raj Kumar Sewda, Vice President Santanu Dubey, bamboo structure constructor Biplab Mukherjee, crowd controllers Koushik Saha and Pintu Dey, and private security incharges Suman Chakraborty and Rajesh Pal.

Kolkata Durga Puja stampede kills 19; 7 arrested
Photo: Collected

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said initial reports indicate a loudspeaker announcement by organisers and whistle-blowing by private security guards triggered a sudden rush among revellers.

Visiting the injured at Kolkata Medical College and Hospital, Adhikari emphasized mandatory lighting and entry-exit gates at theme-based pandals, stating, "Lives of people are more valuable than themes."

Kolkata Durga Puja stampede kills 19; 7 arrested
Photo: Collected

The forensic department, police STF, and Fire Brigade are investigating the site. Official events, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah's visits, have been postponed.

Administration temporarily closed major pandals, including Tala Pratyay, Alipore Sarbojanin, Chetla Agrani, and Ballygunge Sarbojonin, among the city's 3,500 pujas.

With inputs from NDTV

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