Heavy rain and a massive crowd reportedly triggered panic at the north Kolkata pandal; probe ordered into the deadly incident.
Kolkata: At least 18 people were killed and several others injured in a stampede at the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal in north Kolkata on Saturday evening, turning the festive celebrations into a scene of tragedy.
The incident occurred amid heavy crowds and rainfall as thousands of devotees and pandal-hoppers gathered to offer prayers and admire the elaborate Durga Puja decorations. The sudden surge of people reportedly triggered panic, leaving several visitors caught in the crush.
Heavy Rain, Crowd Surge Trigger Panic
The stampede reportedly took place between 7 pm and 8 pm near the pandal’s exit gate in the Girish Park police station area. Preliminary accounts suggest that heavy rainfall and overcrowding may have contributed to the chaos, although the exact sequence of events is yet to be established.
The injured were rushed to Calcutta Medical College and Hospital for treatment. Police, fire brigade personnel and disaster management teams were deployed to assist in rescue operations and control the crowd. Authorities subsequently restricted entry to the pandal.
#Kolkata: #Visuals from incident spot. At least 18 people died, and 25 others were injured in a stampede at the #Chorebagan Durga Puja pandal in north Kolkata following a crowd surge amid rain on Saturday evening, the day of Maha Saptami.
#stampede #DurgaPuja #DurgaPuja2026 https://t.co/6Mo5BdBiWe
— Debadas Pradhan (@pradhandebadas) October 17, 2026
Organisers Detained, Investigation Launched
The incident has raised serious questions about crowd management, security arrangements and emergency evacuation facilities at one of Kolkata’s prominent Durga Puja venues.
According to reports, puja organisers and private security personnel were detained as part of the investigation. A fact-finding panel was also constituted to examine the circumstances leading to the stampede. Investigators are expected to scrutinise CCTV footage and assess whether lapses in crowd-control arrangements contributed to the tragedy.
PM Modi Announces Compensation
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the loss of lives and announced financial assistance of ₹2 lakh for the next of kin of each deceased person and ₹50,000 for each injured person from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund.
The tragedy has cast a shadow over Kolkata’s Durga Puja celebrations, one of the city’s biggest annual cultural and religious events. The incident has once again highlighted the need for strict crowd-control measures, adequate emergency exits and effective safety arrangements at large public gatherings.
