The preliminary investigation has raised questions over the safety arrangements at crowded festival venues, particularly the adequacy of entry and exit routes, emergency announcements and security deployment.
Kolkata: Sudden rainfall, a misleading announcement warning of a possible pandal collapse and serious lapses in crowd management may have collectively triggered the deadly stampede at a Durga Puja pandal in North Kolkata that claimed 19 lives, according to preliminary findings of a police investigation.
The tragedy unfolded on Saturday evening at the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal, where a large gathering of devotees was caught in chaos as people attempted to enter and leave the premises simultaneously.
Investigators believe the sudden downpour created the initial confusion, with visitors waiting outside rushing towards the pandal to escape the rain. At the same time, those already inside reportedly refused to leave, resulting in severe overcrowding.
A senior Kolkata Police official said the rainfall contributed to the situation but stressed that the organizers could not escape responsibility for the apparent failures in crowd management.
“Sudden rains surely played a role in the tragedy because the people waiting outside tried to rush inside the pandal premises to avoid getting wet, while those who were already inside the pandal refused to exit because of the same reason. However, that cannot be an excuse on the part of the puja organizers since there were severe lapses on their part which also triggered the chaos,” the official said.
The situation reportedly worsened when an announcement was made asking people to evacuate the pandal immediately over fears that the structure might collapse.
According to investigators, the warning created panic among those gathered inside, prompting several visitors to rush towards the exits. Some reportedly attempted to leave through the designated entry gate, adding to the confusion and congestion.
Police believe the combination of people rushing into the pandal to escape the rain and others attempting to flee following the announcement created dangerous crowd pressure, eventually resulting in the stampede.
Preliminary findings based on eyewitness accounts, statements from local residents and circumstantial evidence have also pointed to serious shortcomings in the arrangements made to regulate visitor movement.
Investigators found that the deployment of police personnel and private security guards at the venue was inadequate for the size of the gathering.
The shortage of security personnel reportedly made it difficult to control the crowd once panic spread through the premises.
Police have so far arrested seven people in connection with the tragedy, including senior functionaries of the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja committee and individuals responsible for security and crowd management.
The accused have been booked under provisions relating to culpable homicide under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.
Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who arrived in Kolkata on Saturday night, canceled his scheduled Durga Puja engagements on Sunday following the tragedy.
Instead, Shah visited a private hospital in the city where several people injured in the stampede were receiving treatment.
He met the injured and inquired about their medical condition but did not address the media regarding the incident.
According to available information, 14 injured persons were undergoing treatment at the private hospital. All but one were reported to be in stable condition and out of danger.
The preliminary investigation has raised questions over the safety arrangements at crowded festival venues, particularly the adequacy of entry and exit routes, emergency announcements and security deployment.
Police are continuing their investigation into the circumstances that led to the tragedy and the possible responsibility of those entrusted with managing the gathering.