Kolkata Pandal Accident: From a night of prayers, illuminations, and festivities at a Durga Puja pandal in Kolkata, it turned into moments of heart-rending tragedy. A sudden crush killed at least 19 people and injured 25 others at the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal in north Kolkata on Saturday evening. The chaos unfolded on the Saptami day when thousands of devotees had assembled for prayers and participated in the festivity. Minutes after that, joy turned into panic when the crowd suddenly moved towards the entrance of the pandal.
What Went Down at Chorbagan Pandal?
The stampede, which is being blamed on a sudden heavy downpour, occurred near the entrance of – the north Kolkata pandal around 7:40 pm. Authorities said people pushed their way into the pandal after the rain, causing a mob buildup. More devotees fell and were trampled as people tried to navigate the tight space. The injured were rushed to hospitals in the area by emergency services, though the severity of the tragedy was already apparent. West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said 17 people were declared dead at the site and two others died after they were taken to the hospital. There is one critically ill injured in the crash.
A Festival Of Faith Turns Into Mourning
Durga Puja, which is the biggest celebration of Bengal, unites families and people. However, the activities at Chorbagan has smeared gloom in the city. Reports said many of the casualties were women and children, making the loss all the more heartbreaking. The families, who had been in the temple for darshan and festivities, were left scrambling for their kin in the mayhem and gloom. And visuals from the area showed rescue workers, police personnel and volunteers working throughout the night as ambulances ferried the injured to hospital.
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Compensation Announced For Victims
The West Bengal government has announced that it would give some financial help to the bereaved families. For each family that has lost a member, the government will give a compensation of 25 lakhs with a Group D job to one family member. Meanwhile, the state government announced ₹5 lakh for every injured person and said that it will pay the full cost of treatment. Deeply anguished by the incident, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an interim relief of ₹2 lakh from Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the family of each deceased and ₹50,000 for each injured person.
Investigation Underway
Kolkata Police have also begun a detailed inquiry into the stampede, in which they are looking into the role played by mismanaged crowds, lack of clarity between entry and exit points and rain as causes of the disaster. A video from the pandal and its vicinity has been seized. The police has also taken 12 persons of the puja committee, volunteers and organisers into custody and are questioning them. Suvendu Adhikari says the incident will be investigated by a Special Investigation Team to be headed by a sitting judge of the Calcutta High Court. The SIT will include officials from the Special Task Force, forensic teams and other relevant agencies.
Questions Over Crowd Safety
The deaths have once again brought the focus on the need for better crowd control arrangements during mass religious and other gatherings. Narrow exits, insufficient signages, deficient barricades and weather changes can create a stampede within no time. Police appealed to puja committees of Kolkata and West Bengal to check their security arrangements, ensure at least two wide entrances, augment required no of volunteers and plan in case of emergencies.
