Chorbagan stampede: 14 of 25 injured under treatment at private hospital, 3 in ICU

• Fourteen people injured in the Chorbagan pandal stampede are being treated at a private Kolkata hospital; three are in intensive care.

• One ICU patient remains critical, while the other two are improving and may be moved to a general ward.

• A regulatory commission team reviewed their treatment as the state prepared to examine safety arrangements at major puja pandals.

Fourteen people injured in the Chorbagan Durga Puja pandal stampede are undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Kolkata, with three in intensive care and one remaining critical, an official said on Sunday.

The critically ill patient has developed acidosis, a condition involving excessive acid in the body. Doctors treating the patient said it could be linked to prolonged muscle injury sustained during the crowd crush.

The other two ICU patients are showing signs of recovery, and doctors are hopeful they can be transferred to a general ward, West Bengal Clinical Establishment Regulatory Commission chairman Biswajit Basu said.

Basu, a retired judge, visited the hospital with doctors and fellow commission members to assess the patients’ condition and review their care. He said the team was satisfied with the treatment and that all but one patient was broadly stable.

The remaining 11 patients are being treated in the general ward and are largely stable, according to the visiting team.

A doctor accompanying the team said one patient had suffered pelvic trauma, while others were undergoing further assessment. Orthopaedic specialists would decide the next steps in their treatment.

The doctor said the patients’ relatively young age and limited underlying health problems could support their recovery. He also expressed confidence in the hospital’s trauma team.

Nineteen people died and 25 were injured in the stampede at the north Kolkata pandal on Saturday evening, following a crowd surge amid rain.

The state government has constituted a panel to review safety protocols at major Durga Puja pandals and recommend measures for immediate implementation wherever shortcomings are identified.

With IANS inputs