Nineteen people died and 25 were injured in a stampede at the Chorebagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal in Kolkata on the evening of Saptami, after sudden heavy rain and a catastrophic breakdown in crowd management triggered a crush inside the circular walkway of the mandap. The state government has not officially stated a cause, but eyewitness accounts paint a consistent picture of overcrowding, poor entry-exit controls, and inadequate police deployment.

What eyewitnesses saw

Sonu Pal, a resident of Kumortuli who visited the Chorebagan pandal with his mother that evening, described how the situation unravelled. 'It was raining outside. No one wanted to come out of the pandal. Meanwhile, the visitors standing at the entrance to escape the rain kept pushing to enter,' he said. Pal added: 'Unable to handle the pressure, everyone inside the mandap fell on each other. I myself was also crushed. Somehow, I saved myself.'

Another eyewitness corroborated the account, saying that heavy rain that evening swept across north and central Kolkata, triggering severe traffic jams on roads outside — and, simultaneously, a surge of people attempting to push into the pandal for shelter. 'Many people standing in queues tried to enter the mandap to escape the rain. They started pushing each other. As a result, several people fell on the circular path inside the mandap. A situation like being trampled was thus created,' the eyewitness said.

Allegations of mismanagement and police absence

Several witnesses alleged that public announcement systems inside the pavilion were inadequate, creating confusion over entry and exit routes. Locals further alleged that police deployment was concentrated only at the VIP gate, leaving the general crowd unmanaged. Witnesses also alleged that there was no administrative support to help transport the injured to hospital in the immediate aftermath of the stampede.

Videos circulated on social media showed chaotic scenes outside the pandal — crowds screaming and running in the rain, people lying on the ground unconscious, and individuals being dragged out of the mandap by bystanders attempting to provide help.

Seven arrested, investigation under way

On Sunday, police arrested seven people, including organisers of the Chorebagan puja committee, in connection with the stampede. The arrests signal that authorities are treating crowd management failures as a matter of criminal accountability, not merely administrative lapse.

Scale of the disaster

The Chorebagan stampede is among the deadliest incidents linked to Durga Puja celebrations in recent memory. With 19 fatalities confirmed and 25 people hospitalised, the toll underscores the risks that accompany mass gatherings at one of the world's largest religious festivals. This comes amid longstanding concerns from safety experts about pandal crowd limits and emergency egress planning during the five-day festival, which draws tens of millions of visitors across West Bengal.

As investigations continue, questions over state oversight of crowd safety protocols at major Durga Puja pandals are expected to intensify in the days ahead.