Kolkata Pandal Stampede: Rain and Massive Crowds Trigger Chaos
Eyewitnesses describe how rain and overcrowding led to a tragic stampede at the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal in Kolkata.
A festive atmosphere turned into a scene of panic and tragedy at the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal in Kolkata, where a stampede broke out amid heavy rainfall and overwhelming crowds. Devotees, desperate to escape the downpour, reportedly rushed toward shelter, leading to a chaotic situation that left several people injured.
Eyewitness Accounts: The Trigger of the Tragedy
People who witnessed the incident described a sudden surge in the crowd as the weather took a turn for the worse. According to Vinay Kumar, an eyewitness, the continuous rainfall played a pivotal role in the disaster. He noted that as people sought cover to avoid getting wet, the volume of people inside the pandal became unmanageable.
"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," Kumar stated.
Another local resident, Uttam, echoed these sentiments, explaining that parents were particularly anxious to protect their children from the rain, which contributed to the frantic rush and subsequent stampede.
Emergency Response and Medical Aid
In the immediate aftermath, local civil volunteers and police personnel rushed to assist those affected. Uttam mentioned that the local MLA was actively involved in coordinating the rescue efforts and ensuring that the injured received prompt medical attention at nearby hospitals.
TMC leader Kunal Ghosh also emphasized the urgency of the rescue operations, stating that the primary focus was on saving lives. He urged the administration to increase the number of medical staff at hospitals to handle the influx of injured devotees and confirmed that party workers were cooperating with the police to facilitate relief efforts inside the pandal.
Police Action and Political Fallout
The Kolkata Police have launched an investigation into the incident. Authorities have detained 12 individuals, including members of the Durga Puja organizing committee, who are currently being questioned to determine if there were lapses in safety protocols or crowd management.
Political Tension Mounts
The tragedy has sparked a political firestorm in West Bengal. Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Abhishek Banerjee took to social media to express his grief and lash out at the authorities. In a post on X, Banerjee criticized the Kolkata Police, the West Bengal Police, and Suvendu Adhikari, calling the situation a "shame" and praying for the recovery of the injured and solace for the grieving families.
While the police maintain that they were present and functional at the site, the scale of the disaster has raised serious questions about the capacity to manage the massive crowds that characterize the city's Durga Puja celebrations.