‘People wanted to get out but couldn’t’: Witness recounts Kolkata puja stampede

• A local resident described visitors struggling to escape the packed Chorbagan pandal as heavy rain and incoming crowds intensified the crush.

• Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari confirmed 19 people were killed and 25 injured, with one remaining critical.

• Bengal has announced Rs 25 lakh and a job for each bereaved family, along with Rs 5 lakh and full treatment costs for every injured person.

Visitors trapped inside Kolkata’s Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal struggled to escape as heavy rain drove more people into the already crowded venue, a local resident said, recounting the chaos surrounding Saturday’s stampede.

Prem Gupta, who lives near the pandal on Muktarambabu Street in north Kolkata, said the pressure intensified as people continued entering from outside despite the lack of space inside.

“Suffocation set in; people wanted to get out but couldn’t,” Gupta told IANS.

Gupta said he had been attending an event elsewhere when he learnt of the stampede. Having distributed VIP passes to several visitors, he subsequently heard their accounts of announcements asking people to leave the premises as the emergency unfolded.

According to his account, the downpour prompted visitors to seek shelter in the same area. With the pandal already packed, the continuing influx left those inside unable to move out, fuelling panic.

A portion of the exit gate structure also collapsed on Saturday evening, adding to the disorder amid the rain and overcrowding.

Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said on Sunday that 19 people had died, including 17 at the scene. Twenty-five people were injured; 24 were out of danger, while one remained in a critical condition, he said.

Adhikari said he had met 13 of the bereaved families individually and assured them of government support.

The state government has announced Rs 25 lakh in compensation and a job for each family that lost a member. Every injured person will receive Rs 5 lakh, with the government covering their medical expenses in full.

The Chief Minister also called for tighter safety precautions at Durga Puja venues across West Bengal, where around 58,000 pujas are being held.

He urged organisers and visitors to cooperate with police and fire services, stressing the need for crowd control, adequate lighting and safe entry and exit arrangements.

With IANS inputs