Kolkata: On the evening of Saptami, where a crowd of devotees had gathered in the pandal to have the darshan of Maa Durga, within a short time the atmosphere of happiness turned into mourning. 19 people lost their lives and at least 25 others were injured in a stampede at a Durga Puja pandal in North Kolkata on Saturday evening. The dead included 13 women and a child. According to Kolkata Police, the stampede occurred at around 7.40 pm at the exit gate of Chorebagan Sarvajanin Puja Pandal in Girish Park police station area.
The reason for this has been said to be the huge crowd of people coming to the pandal during the rains. This accident happened on Saptami, the seventh day of the ten-day Durga Puja festival. Police said in the statement that all the injured were rescued and taken to the Medical College and Hospital (MCH). Control room, fire department, Kolkata Police, disaster management group team, medical team and ambulance were sent to the spot. So far, about 35 people have been taken to the hospital. The pandal has been closed for visitors.
Eyewitness narrated his ordeal
One man's daughter and granddaughter were taken to hospital. He told news agency IANS that both the entry and exit gates were very narrow and there was no light in the area. According to him, there was a queue at the entrance for about 90 minutes. It was raining, so people wanted to go inside quickly. He told that a little girl and a boy fell in the darkness. He himself fell down and became very scared. There were many people above the girl and the boy. He says that there was neither police nor volunteers at the spot.
Chief Minister gave reason for the announcement
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari immediately reached the Medical College and Hospital. He indicated that an announcement by the organizers of the community Durga Puja led to panic among the visitors, leading to the tragic incident. However, the real cause of the accident will become clear only after investigation.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the incident and announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh for the families of the deceased. In the post made by the Prime Minister's Office, it was said that the Kolkata stampede is very sad. He expressed condolences to the bereaved families and wished for the speedy recovery of the injured. The post also said that the local administration is providing all possible assistance to the affected people.