What triggered stampede at Kolkata’s Chorebagan Durga Puja pandal?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the stampede as “extremely distressing” and announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund for the next of kin of each deceased person and Rs 50,000 for every injured person. "The stampede in Kolkata is extremely distressing. My thoughts are with those who have lost their loved ones. May the injured recover at the earliest," Modi said in a post on X.

He added that the local administration was providing all possible assistance to those affected. Union Home Minister Amit Shah also expressed condolences over the tragedy. He said he had spoken to Adhikari about the incident and prayed for the victims and their families. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi described the incident as ‘extremely heartbreaking’ and urged the administration to ensure prompt medical treatment for the injured.

Adhikari visited Calcutta Medical College Hospital on Saturday to review the condition of those admitted. He said preliminary information from the assistant commissioner of police (ACP) present at the site indicated that an announcement by a private security agency and the blowing of whistles may have triggered the stampede. The police detained members of the puja committee and security agencies in connection with the incident, according to the chief minister, reported PTI.

What triggered the stampede situation at the Kolkata Durga Puja pandal? The exact sequence of events is being investigated, with preliminary accounts pointing to a combination of heavy rain, crowding and a sudden rush of visitors. Adhikari said initial information from the ACP at the site suggested that an announcement by a private security agency and the blowing of whistles may have triggered panic.

Eyewitnesses also pointed to continuous rainfall and the large number of devotees gathered at the pandal. They said people tried to avoid getting drenched, leading to a rush that proved difficult to control. Vinay Kumar, an eyewitness, told ANI that the rain and the reluctance of visitors to leave the site had made crowd management difficult, even though police personnel were present. "This tragic incident occurred due to continuous rainfall.

There was an excessive crowd here, and they did not want to get out in the rain. The police administration was fully functional, but the crowd could not be handled," he said. The police detained members of the puja committee and security agencies following the incident. Police also restricted entry to the Chorebagan pandal, while senior Kolkata Police officials reached the spot. Why were other Durga Puja pandals closed?

Police shut several prominent Durga Puja pandals in Kolkata as a precaution after the stampede, including Suruchi Sangha and Chetla Agrani. Tala Prattoy separately announced that its pandal would remain closed to visitors until further notice. The closures came amid concerns over crowd management and visitor safety at popular festival venues. Authorities moved to restrict entry as they assessed the situation following the deaths and injuries at Chorebagan.

Adhikari said the state government would provide Rs 25 lakh and a government job to the family of each person who died. Those injured will receive Rs 5 lakh each, and the government will cover their medical expenses. 'The crowd could not be handled': Witnesses recall the horror Eyewitnesses described heavy rain, overcrowding and the difficulty of managing the sudden rush as factors that contributed to the chaos at the pandal.

Another eyewitness, Uttam, said local residents rushed to help after learning about the incident. He said police personnel, civil volunteers and the local MLA were involved in coordinating assistance and arranging treatment for the injured, ANI reported. "We are local residents. When we heard about this incident, we immediately came here. The police administration had full arrangements here, and they fully cooperated.

The local civil volunteers were also present. Our local MLA is also here and is fully engaged in making arrangements and ensuring treatment for them at the medical hospital. The incident occurred as the people wanted to avoid the rain to save themselves and their children," he said.