Rain, narrow exits and no police: Witnesses recount Kolkata Puja pandal stampede

Narrow entry and exit gates, poor lighting, heavy rain and a surge in weekend crowds may have contributed to the stampede at North Kolkata’s Chorebagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal on Saturday evening, witnesses and police said. The tragedy claimed 18 lives, while several others were injured.

Eyewitnesses and local residents allege that there was little to no police presence to control the crowd at Chorebagan Puja Pandal. In the aftermath of the stampede, it was ordinary citizens who stepped in to rescue the injured.

A local resident whose daughter and granddaughter were among the injured described the difficulties visitors faced while entering and leaving the pandal. Speaking to news agency IANS, he said the narrow passageways and lack of lighting made the situation particularly dangerous.

"The entrance was very narrow, and the exit gate was also narrow. There was no lighting in the area," he said.

Witness describes panic in narrow lanes

The man said visitors had been waiting in a long queue before the incident, with rain adding to the rush to enter the pandal.

"At the entrance, there was a 1.5-hour-long queue. Since it was raining, people were in a hurry to get in. The area was very narrow. It was dark. There was not a single light. Two people fell due to the darkness. There was a small girl and a boy. I also fell," he said.

Recounting the frightening moments, he added, "I somehow managed to get up. I was very scared. There were many people on top of the girl and the boy. In that situation, there were no police or volunteers. There was nothing," he added.

Another witness told news agency ANI that several people lost consciousness in the crush. Some of the injured were reportedly taken to hospital on motorcycles.

Police cite heavy crowds and rainfall

A senior police officer said the crowd surged forward as rain began, causing people to fall.

"That's when some of them fell on the road, leading to the stampede," he added.

In a statement, police said the incident took place around 7.40 pm at the exit gate of the Sarada Park (Chorebagan) Puja Pandal, under Girish Park Police Station. They said the injured were rescued and taken to hospital.

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari and Chief Secretary Manoj Agarwal visited the hospital to assess the situation. Former chief minister Mamata Banerjee expressed shock and prayed for the injured.

"I pray to Maa Durga for the speedy recovery of all those injured and for strength and courage for their families during this difficult time," she wrote on X.

Helplines opened for assistance

The state government issued two helpline numbers for assistance following the incident: 1800-345-5678 and 033-22141310.

Chorebagan Sarbojanin is an established community Durga Puja in north-central Kolkata, near Ram Mandir on Muktaram Babu Street. The puja has been held annually for more than 90 years.