Sudden Rain and Exit Bottleneck Led to Kolkata Durga Puja Stampede That Claimed 19 Lives: Police

Kolkata: A sudden downpour and a severe bottleneck of revellers attempting to seek shelter near an exit gate triggered the tragic stampede at the Chorbagan Durga Puja pandal in north Kolkata that claimed 19 lives, according to preliminary investigation findings revealed by Kolkata Police.

The incident occurred around 7:30 PM on October 17 during peak festive hours. Senior police officials, a large crowd had gathered at the venue when an unexpected spell of rain lashed the area. To protect their festive attire from getting wet, a dense group of visitors, predominantly women, halted right at the exit gate.

As crowds behind them pushed forward to exit the main venue, pressure mounted near the doorway within minutes. With nowhere to move, severe jostling broke out, causing several people to lose their balance and fall barely 11 feet inside the exit gate, quickly turning the bottleneck into a fatal crush.

Key Factors Under Police Investigation

Investigators are examining multiple operational lapses that contributed to the disaster. Preliminary findings indicate a critical shortage of female volunteers and adequate police deployment at the exit gates to manage the congested crowd of women revellers.

Organisers reportedly failed to act despite awareness that crowd footfall was rapidly increasing well beyond capacity in the days leading up to the tragedy. Police noted that the chaos escalated further when individuals inside the venue allegedly spread panic by falsely shouting that a portion of the pandal structure was collapsing.

Investigators are probing delays in radio communication between private security personnel, gate managers, and authorities, which hampered prompt crowd relief efforts.

Legal Action and Ongoing Probe

Nine individuals have been arrested so far in connection with the tragedy, including venue organisers and suspects accused of making the panic-inducing announcements. Officers have seized digital video recorders (DVRs) from the site to analyse CCTV footage, though several cameras malfunctioned before the incident.

Forensic teams have also conducted 3D spatial mapping of the pandal layout to evaluate structural bottlenecks and passage widths. The Kolkata Police probe remains ongoing as authorities work to establish accountability and update safety protocols for high-footfall public events across the city.

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