Children Among At Least 17 Killed In Stampede At Kolkata Festival
At least 17 people were killed and about 25 injured in a stampede outside a Durga Puja marquee in the eastern Indian city of Kolkata on Saturday evening
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| Image Source: All India Radio |
Initial reports suggested people queuing outside surged when it began to rain, and that some fell in the road, setting off the stampede. Officials at the scene initially attributed the surge to an announcement made over the organisers’ loudspeakers. The chief minister said rain had been a factor, along with what he described as shortcomings in the arrangements, and said anyone found negligent would face legal action.
One of the injured was described as critical and the rest out of danger. Those hurt were taken to a state medical college, with the more seriously injured later moved to a second hospital.
Police, fire crews, disaster response teams and ambulances were sent to the site, and the pandal was closed. The location has been sealed, with forensic officers and a police special task force conducting initial inquiries and CCTV footage being examined. The state government said a fact-finding committee would be set up under a sitting judge of the Calcutta High Court.
This was just minutes after I got out of the pandal of chorebagan. It was so crowed overall that when it rained people ran to take shelter & this happened. So heartbreaking💔. Everyone in the line was so happy & excited. I pray for those lost lives. #kolkatapuja #KolkataStampede https://t.co/7Lfwo4PC8N
— Monaj Rout (@MonajRout1) October 17, 2026
The government announced compensation for the family of each person killed, and for each of the injured. Police opened two helplines for families seeking information. The leader of the opposition in the lower house of parliament Rahul Gandhi said the news from the Chorbagan pandal was deeply distressing and offered condolences to the families of the dead. He urged the administration to ensure immediate treatment for all the injured and an impartial inquiry so that such a tragedy was not repeated, and asked his party’s workers to help with relief.
Chorebagan Sarbojonin's site currently. Police has sealed the complex. Unsure if it will ever open or any Puja will take place again. All Organizers have been arrested. https://t.co/lEkZxCi25n
— Sudhanidhi Bandyopadhyay (@SudhanidhiB) October 17, 2026
The prime minister called the stampede tragic and said the West Bengal government was extending all possible assistance to the affected families. The president said the news of the deaths at the pandal was deeply distressing and offered her condolences to the bereaved. The home minister, who was in the state, said he had spoken to the chief minister, that the administration was arranging the best available treatment for the injured, and that he was postponing his engagements in the state for Sunday to visit them in hospital.
Durga Puja is the largest annual festival in West Bengal, where about 58,000 celebrations are being held this year.