Kolkata Chorbagan stampede toll reaches 19; SIT formed and 7 arrested
The stampede at the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Pūjā pandal in north Kolkata happened on the evening of Mahā Saptamī, 17 October, as crowds surged in the rain.
- The Week
The stampede at the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Pūjā pandal in north Kolkata happened on the evening of Mahā Saptamī, 17 October, as crowds surged in the rain. Families and eyewitnesses alleged poor crowd management at a single entry and exit point.
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said the incident took place at the exit point rather than inside the pandal, and that home guards had dropped the boundary rope. Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited the injured and cancelled his Pūjā programmes.
Key data
19 dead and 25 injured. 7 arrested and 14 detained. Ex gratia of ₹25 lakh and a government job for each family, ₹5 lakh per injured person.
Why it matters
The SIT deliberately excludes Kolkata Police, the fire department and the municipal corporation, whose licensing roles are under scrutiny.
GK: did you know?
UNESCO inscribed Durga Pūjā in Kolkata on its Intangible Cultural Heritage list in December 2021.
