‘Torrential rain, narrow gates, dark streets’: Eyewitnesses on tragic night at Kolkata Puja pandal
Kolkata: A lethal combination of narrow entry and exit points, unlit surroundings, torrential rainfall and a massive weekend rush led to the tragic stampede that claimed 17 lives at the Chorebagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal in North Kolkata on Saturday evening, according to eyewitnesses and local authorities.
The disaster unfolded around 7.40 pm in the Girish Park Police Station area as thousands of devotees packed the narrow lanes surrounding the 90-year-old community puja site near Muktaram Babu Street. When sudden heavy showers began, the massive crowd waiting outside surged forward simultaneously to seek shelter, triggering panic and structural chaos.
A local resident, whose daughter and granddaughter were among those injured, described the spatial bottleneck to news agency IANS.
“The entrance was very narrow, and the exit gate was also narrow. There was no lighting in the area,” he said.
Another witness reported that a portion of the pandal structure collapsed during the initial surge, causing widespread panic in the confined alleys.
Recalling the traumatic sequence of events in Bengali, another survivor shared the horror of being trapped in the crush. “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.
The survivor 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.”
Witnesses told news agency ANI that numerous visitors collapsed or lost consciousness due to asphyxiation and pressure from the crowd. With ambulances struggling through the congested avenues, locals resorted to transporting the unconscious and injured to nearby hospitals on motorcycles.
Addressing the cause of the disaster, a senior police officer said, “As it started raining, the crowd waiting outside the pandal rushed forward. That's when some of them fell on the road, leading to the stampede.”
In an official statement detailing the incident, the Kolkata Police noted, “At around 7.40 pm, a stampede occurred at the exit gate of the Sarada Park (Chorebagan) Puja Pandal in the Girish Park Police Station area due to heavy crowds of pandal visitors during rain. All injured persons were rescued and taken to the hospital.”
Following the tragedy, West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari and Chief Secretary Manoj Agarwal reached the hospital to oversee emergency medical response and administrative relief measures.
Former chief minister Mamata Banerjee expressed profound grief over the loss of life, writing on X, “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.”
The West Bengal state government has set up emergency helpline numbers for affected families – 1800-345-5678 and 033-22141310.
(Agencies)