📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / HridoyKundu
Local
19 Dead, 15 Injured in Stampede at Kolkata Durga Pandal; Organisers Arrested
✍️ The Times of India
🗓 18 Oct 2026, 01:37 AM
👁 10
A crowd crush at a Kolkata Durga Puja pandal left 19 people dead and 15 injured, prompting police to detain the event’s organisers.
A sudden stampede broke out inside a Durga Puja pandal in Kolkata, turning a festive gathering into a tragedy. Witnesses reported that the crush occurred as crowds surged towards the entrance, causing panic and a rapid loss of footing among attendees.
Emergency services arrived quickly, but the sheer number of victims overwhelmed the on‑site medical teams. Officials confirmed that 19 people lost their lives and 15 others sustained injuries ranging from minor cuts to serious fractures.
Kolkata police detained the pandal’s organisers shortly after the incident, citing negligence in crowd‑control measures. Investigators are now examining whether safety protocols were breached and how the crowd density exceeded permissible limits.
The state government has pledged a thorough inquiry and urged all future event planners to adhere strictly to safety guidelines to prevent a recurrence of such a disaster.
Emergency services arrived quickly, but the sheer number of victims overwhelmed the on‑site medical teams. Officials confirmed that 19 people lost their lives and 15 others sustained injuries ranging from minor cuts to serious fractures.
Kolkata police detained the pandal’s organisers shortly after the incident, citing negligence in crowd‑control measures. Investigators are now examining whether safety protocols were breached and how the crowd density exceeded permissible limits.
The state government has pledged a thorough inquiry and urged all future event planners to adhere strictly to safety guidelines to prevent a recurrence of such a disaster.