Kolkata Durga Puja stampede: 14 injured hospitalised, prohibitory orders near Chorbagan pandal
Synopsis
A Durga Puja pandal stampede in North Kolkata has claimed 19 lives — including a father-son pair from Bihar and a married couple — while 14 injured remain hospitalised, three in critical care. With prohibitory orders imposed and a state inspection team deployed, the tragedy is forcing a hard reckoning over crowd safety at one of India's largest religious festivals.
Key Takeaways
A stampede at the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal in North Kolkata has killed 19 people .
14 injured have been transferred to a private hospital; 3 are in the CCU and 3 in the ICU , with one in a critical condition.
Kolkata Police have imposed prohibitory orders under Section 163 BNS 2023 near the pandal until 20 October .
Chief Minister Shuvendu Adhikari has formed a special inspection team led by Rajesh Singh (Disaster Management), Anuj Sharma (Fire Service) and Javed Shamim (STF) to review puja safety citywide.
A total of 14 persons have been detained by police in connection with the stampede.
Victims include a 7-year-old child , a married couple, and a father-son pair from Bihar .
A stampede at the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal in North Kolkata has left at least 14 people hospitalised at a private facility, with 19 confirmed dead, after the tragedy unfolded on the night of Saturday, 18 October 2025. The incident has triggered sweeping safety measures across the city's ongoing festive celebrations.
Condition of the Hospitalised
Of the 14 injured transferred to the private hospital, three are admitted to the critical care unit (CCU) and three to the intensive care unit (ICU). One patient is reported to be in a critical condition, according to sources, while the remaining patients are said to be stable.
Prohibitory Orders and Police Action
Kolkata Police have imposed prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023, barring public assembly in a large area surrounding the Chorbagan Sarbojanin pandal until 20 October. The total number of persons detained by police in connection with the case has risen to 14.
State Administration's Response
In the wake of the disaster, the state administration has moved swiftly to tighten oversight of other major Durga Puja venues across Kolkata. Chief Minister Shuvendu Adhikari ordered the formation of a special inspection team on Saturday night to assess crowd management at the city's popular puja mandapams.
The inspection team will be led by Disaster Management Department Secretary Rajesh Singh, State Fire Service Director General Anuj Sharma, and Additional Director of the Special Task Force of West Bengal Police Javed Shamim. The Chief Minister has stated that corrective steps will be taken on the basis of their reports, and advised that pujas be conducted exclusively with priests, with LED screens installed outside pandals rather than permitting visitors inside.
The Victims
The 19 people who lost their lives in the stampede include Sriparna Poddar (26), Mithu Mondal (45), Akriti Kumari (17), Barnali Haldar (17), Shubham Shankar (33), Aarti Sarkar Biswas (45), Tagor Bej (37), Tania Biswas (18), Kalpana Jana (46), Vikas Bhattacharya (66), Sneha Bhandari (20), Sandeep Bej (14), Piyali Pramanik (25), Priya Samaddar (18), and Pranjal Sarkar (13). Married couple Dilip Ghosh (59) and Deepali Ghosh also died in the tragedy. Two members of the same family from Bihar — Abhishek Srivastava (38) and his 7-year-old son Ayansh Kumar Srivastava — were among the dead, underscoring the cross-state reach of the tragedy.
Broader Safety Context
This is among the deadliest stampede incidents at a religious gathering in West Bengal in recent memory, occurring during the peak of the Durga Puja festival when pandals across Kolkata attract millions of visitors. Notably, the tragedy comes at a time when crowd safety at large public events across India has drawn recurring scrutiny following similar incidents at religious gatherings in other states. With inspections now underway and prohibitory orders in force, authorities face pressure to prevent repeat incidents at the dozens of major pandals still operating across the city.
Point of View
Where footfall projections are routinely ignored and emergency protocols exist largely on paper. The state administration's rapid formation of an inspection team is a step forward, but the critical question is whether recommendations will be enforced mid-festival or shelved until after the pandals close. The presence of a 7-year-old and multiple teenagers among the 19 dead points to a failure of basic perimeter management. With Durga Puja drawing millions of visitors over several days, one targeted response is far from enough.
NationPress
18 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How many people died in the Kolkata Durga Puja stampede?
A total of 19 people died in the stampede at the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal in North Kolkata. The victims range in age from 7 to 66 and include a married couple and a father-son pair from Bihar.
What is the current condition of the injured?
Of the 14 injured shifted to a private hospital, three are admitted to the critical care unit (CCU) and three to the intensive care unit (ICU). One patient is reported to be in a critical condition; the others are stated to be stable.
What prohibitory orders have been imposed after the stampede?
Kolkata Police have imposed prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023, banning public assembly in the vicinity of the Chorbagan Sarbojanin pandal until 20 October 2025.
What steps has the West Bengal government taken after the stampede?
Chief Minister Shuvendu Adhikari ordered a special inspection team to assess crowd safety at major Durga Puja venues across Kolkata. The team is led by Disaster Management Department Secretary Rajesh Singh, Fire Service Director General Anuj Sharma, and STF Additional Director Javed Shamim. The Chief Minister also advised that visitors be directed to watch pujas via LED screens outside pandals.
How many people have been detained in connection with the Kolkata stampede?
A total of 14 persons have been detained by Kolkata Police in connection with the stampede at the Chorbagan Sarbojanin pandal, according to reports.
