Kolkata Kolkata On the evening of Saptami of Durga Puja, the celebration suddenly turned into mourning at the pandal of Chorbagan Sarvajanin Durgotsav Samiti. A large number of devotees had arrived on Saturday evening to have darshan of Maa Durga. During this time the rain increased and the crowd in the pandal started increasing. Within a short time, the situation worsened to such an extent that a stampede broke out at the exit gate. At least 19 people died in this accident, while 25 others were injured.
Reason for rain, narrow roads and stampede
Kolkata According to the police, there was chaos when a huge crowd gathered at the exit gate of the pandal during the rain at 7:40 pm. People tried to go inside the pandal to escape the heavy rain. An eyewitness said that a girl trapped in the crowd fell, after which the crowd started trampling her. Some eyewitnesses said that the entry and exit routes were narrow and there was little lighting. An eyewitness woman told that three of her friends were with her. She also got buried in the crowd. All three are untraceable.
360 degree twist and structure breakdown
A circular high corridor was made inside the pandal for exit by rotating 360 degrees. Crowd pressure increased in this part. There is also a possibility that part of the structure of the pandal may break. The Chief Minister said that the stampede broke out after the announcement made by the organizers on the loudspeaker and the whistle blowing by the security guards.
atmosphere of pushing and screaming
Saikat Banerjee, an eyewitness, alleged that there was not adequate presence of organisers, volunteers and policemen at the spot. According to him, people were pushing each other and amid the chaos, many people fell ill. Although eyewitnesses have attributed the worsening of the situation to crowd and rain, the exact cause of the accident is not yet officially clear.
Increasing pressure of crowd at the exit gate
When a large number of people gather at the entry and exit points of the pandal, traffic can be disrupted. If people move in one direction in search of safe place during rains, there is a risk of the pressure increasing further. In such a situation, people may fall due to pushing and shoving and it may be difficult for the people behind them to recover. There has also been information about stampede at the exit gate of Chorbagan pandal. However, the findings of the investigation regarding the actual condition of the road, the number of crowd and the role of security arrangements are yet to be revealed.
Pandal closure and review of security arrangements
After the incident, the police closed the pandal for devotees and took the injured to the hospital for treatment. The Chief Minister has announced the formation of a high-level committee to review the security arrangements at major Durga Puja pandals in the state. The committee will assess crowd management, exit routes, lighting and structural safety of the pandals. In view of the possibility of a large number of devotees arriving during Ashtami and Navami, officials have been instructed to take extra vigilance.
Compensation and government job announcement
After the accident, CM reached the hospital and inquired about the condition of the injured. He announced financial assistance of Rs 25 lakh to the families of the deceased and a Group-D government job to one of the family members. The injured will be given assistance of Rs 5 lakh each. The accident will be investigated by a SIT headed by a High Court judge.
Reaction of Prime Minister and Home Minister
Expressing grief over the accident, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced an assistance of Rs 2 lakh each to the families of the deceased. Saturday evening Kolkata Home Minister Amit Shah arrived and postponed all the programs. He will meet the injured on Sunday.
